Without a job or a contract

Motherhood often marks the point when employment becomes precarious.

The current maternity leave structure not only affects the employment of young women but also often creates pressure for those already in the labor market.

“If we are facing a decline in the birth rate, the solution is not to keep women at home. Many have completed their education and are then encouraged to stay out of the labor market through social policies,” said Mustafa.

Demolli and Mustafa note that these policies have been implemented alongside another significant gap: insufficient investment in childcare infrastructure.

Workers in the informal sector usually work without contracts, without job stability, without fixed hours and without social protection.

Integrating women into the labor market does not depend solely on professional training; it also requires the necessary social infrastructure, without which work becomes difficult or impossible.