Internet usage

Currently 18.3 million people in Romania are above 15 years of age, and of them 12 percent, or 2.1 million have access to the Internet. About 16 percent of the total number of men and just about 8 percent of the total number of women have access to the Internet (Hafkin and Taggart, 2001).[2]

Labor market participation by women

Currently, 45.2 percent of the total workforce and 56 percent of all employees in the professional and technical careers are women. Of these women 26 percent are in managerial positions.

Labor market participation by women in ICT sector

The Romanian ICT sector employed about 0.2 percent of the total workforce in 1996. Among those working in the ICT sector, 13 percent were employed in software companies. Information on employment of women in the ICT sector was not available.

Wage differentials

The labor code of the country recommends equal pay for equal work. However, gender discrimination exists, especially in the case of less-educated women. Women facing economic discrimination also suffer from lack of infrastructure. According to the U.S. State Department Human Rights Report on Romania, 1999, despite laws promoting equality, more women than men are unemployed in the country. Women hold few influential positions in the private sector and on average earn lower wages Romania's ICT workers, more men than women, are now migrating from a cash-strapped economy to other European countries and the United States in the hope of better opportunities.

Government policy on ICTs

In the past, the Communist government actively supported the ICT sector, not just in terms of financial inputs but also in capacity building. It emphasized software development and after its fall in 1989 there was no dearth of skilled software professionals. Romania is often compared to India and Ireland because of its potential in the software industry. Today more official support is required in training and education. In 1990 the new government formed a National Commission for Informatics (NCI) to look after ICT policy. Initiatives taken by NCI along with the Ministries of Research and Technology, Telecommunications, and Education have supported specific activities such as ICT research and development.

In 1992, the government initiated a National Strategy for the Information Society that was incorporated into a law in 1997. This law emphasizes vital public and private sector alliances, development of ICT standards, development of infrastructure, and investment for research and development in ICTs. The telecommunications sector remains in the hands of the state-owned Romtelecom, but service is often undependable outside Bucharest. Since 2001, Romtelecom has slashed daytime dial-up Internet access rates by 50 percent to encourage Internet use during the day.

Government policy on gender

The constitution and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) guarantee the protection of women's equal rights in the country. In 1996 the government created a section under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection with the purpose of promoting women's interests and family policies. The department coordinates programs for women, suggests new laws, monitors the legislation for sexual prejudices, and supports women's training for skill-building, especially in villages.

Sociocultural factors

The high level of education and significant participation in the country's labor force provide cause for optimism for Romanian women in the ICT sector. Unfortunately, no data were available for this sector.

Conclusion
Although Romanian women enjoy high literacy rates, constitute 56 percent of all employees in professional and technical careers, and have a supportive, women-friendly gender policy in place, they continue to experience discriminatory treatment in recruitment and wages. No information was available on women's participation specifically in the ICT labor market.

[1] http://www.aed.org
[2]  http://www.euromedia.net, 02/07/2002

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