SKOPJE, North Macedonia – When Nikola Zdravevski’s first child Josif was born, he was thrilled to dive into fatherhood. “From the very beginning I was involved in all parts of caring for our son,” he said. But the new demands at home made it difficult to continue working without placing an unfair burden on his partner: “Seeing how much responsibility and time the new family situation required, as well as the fatigue of [my partner] when I came home from work, I thought it was correct that the obligations should be evenly divided.”
Nikola used a portion of his partner’s parental leave so that he could play an equal role in the family. He had the benefit of working for a foreign client who understood the value of this time off and granted him permission. Nikola remains grateful for that time spent bonding with his son and supporting his partner. “Taking care of Josif in those first months of his life gave me a clear and reliable basis for the importance of the father figure in the development of a child and that there should not be a big difference between the two parents in terms of parental responsibilities,” he explained.
However, taking paid leave for family reasons is not an opportunity that most men have in North Macedonia and other countries in the Western Balkans. Nikola said even his colleagues and friends were surprised about his decision, “They almost did not believe that a man would do this and that this is possible in our system.” According to the Labour Law in North Macedonia, there is no paternity leave as such. Fathers who work in the public sector may take up to three days of employer-paid “family leave” after their child’s birth or adoption, while private sector workers are given two days. If they want to take more time off as Nikola did, it can only begin 45 days after birth and if the mother decides to return to work before her parental leave entitlement ends.
These conditions not only prevent fathers from taking an active role in caregiving at the start of their child’s life but also force women to shoulder a larger share of the household and care duties. This reinforces harmful gender stereotypes around caregiving, essentially telling society that it is strictly a woman’s role.
It also has consequences beyond the home. The lack of equal parental leave, affordable childcare options, and flexible working arrangements are key reasons for the persistent gender gap in employment rates. In 2022, the gap between men and women in the workforce in North Macedonia was over 18 percentage points – almost twice as high as the European Union average. Inactivity and the under-representation of women in the workforce amount to huge untapped potential for the country’s economy and public life.
Meanwhile, women who have tried to combine work and family responsibilities have reported a lack of support and discrimination from employers. Research by the think tank Reactor in 2021 found that 12 per cent of women surveyed experienced pressure to return to work before the end of their maternity leave, while 14 per cent were illegally deprived of financial compensation during their leave. Nine per cent reported some form of unfavourable treatment upon their return, such as lower salaries or changes in their roles at work.
Introducing gender-responsive family policies
In order to shift these discriminatory gender norms and redistribute unpaid care work more equally, UNFPA has developed the Expanding Choices programme. With support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the project aims to promote gender-responsive family policies with the private sector and governments in the Western Balkans and Moldova so that women and men are empowered to pursue their full potential at home and at work.
Family-friendly workplace models can enable more women to enter and thrive in the workforce, which bolsters gender equality and helps countries better utilize the skills of their entire population. Families are also strengthened when men are encouraged to play an active role in care duties. A 2022 study on gender stereotypes by UNFPA and UN Women showed that engaged fatherhood positively impacted children’s development, and enhanced health, education and overall well-being for individuals and families.
Additionally, when men and women feel supported in all aspects of their lives, they are more likely to fulfil their fertility aspirations, leading to greater demographic resilience for societies undergoing population shifts.
The Expanding Choices programme is now in its second phase, with 40 official and potential “champion companies” in North Macedonia as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo (UNSCR 1244).
Nikica Kusinikova, the executive director of Konekt, UNFPA’s partner in North Macedonia, said the shift toward family-friendly workplaces has brought significant returns for participating companies as well as workers: “Worldwide research shows that environments that are flexible for employees' family responsibilities lead to higher employee engagement resulting in 20 per cent increased performance and 43 per cent higher income.”
She added that companies increasingly see gender-responsive family policies as a boost to their reputations. “They want to be recognized as responsible employers who offer equal opportunities for development, who have satisfied and loyal employees and who attract new talent,” noted Ms. Kusinikova.
For Nikola, it has been three years since his son was born and he still describes those early days caring for Josif as an “invaluable” experience. But he stresses that parenthood is a continuous journey: “Caring for a child is a long-term and very demanding process, as well as a great sacrifice and responsibility.” Gender-responsive family policies help to ensure these sacrifices and responsibilities – as well as the rewards – are shared by all members of the family. In turn, these equal and resilient families can be the foundation for developing a more dynamic workforce able to take on the challenges of the modern economy and society.
