Abstract:
Research shows that young women in Bosnia and Herzegovina face several challenges in
the workplace, including discrimination, lack of opportunity, and unequal division of
labor. Similarly, the understanding is that young women are often passed over for
promotions, paid less than men, or subjected to sexual harassment. Therefore, I conduct
a survey to perform a quantitative analysis of the problem at hand. The survey included
443 young women from a wide range of professions. As expected, the responses varied
from positive to negative experiences. However, a clear lack of opportunity has been
experienced by most of the survey respondents. Gender stereotypes, lack of childcare
support, and cultural expectations can all contribute to this. Young women in Bosnia and
Herzegovina face various challenges that result in negative consequences, such as lower
levels of job satisfaction, decreased motivation, and increased turnover. Furthermore, the
limited opportunities for young women have a detrimental impact on the economy as a
whole. A case study is provided in the thesis, addressing differences between leaders in
the field (i.e. Nordic countries) and the rest of the world. The case study suggests that
there are several actions that can be performed to address these challenges. These include enacting stronger anti-discrimination laws, providing more childcare support, challenging gender stereotypes, and educating employers about the benefits of hiring and promoting women. Dealing with these changes, will result in a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
