Gender Equality National Report Hungary - European-microfinance ...

development funds from banks for a longer period than one year. Start-up micro-enterprises
very rarely do receive funds, though 25% of new enterprises have insufficient starting capital
and 50% of them have no more than HUF 300,000 (i.e. EUR 1,200) as starting capital.
There is a smaller proportion (about 30%) of women among microcredit clients than their
share in micro-enterprises (which is ca. 35%). Considering women’s lower incomes, their
slightly more disadvantageous capital situation and their greater risk of poverty, this
proportion can and must be significantly increased. Particularly if we take into account that
women’s enterprises are more cautious and more profitable than men‘s.
Although the Constitution as well as several laws and government decrees particularly
provide for equal opportunities for women, the proportion of female politicians, public figures
and entrepreneurs is low. This needs to be improved in spite of the fact that there exist a
great number of regulations, programs and organizational bodies to provide equal
opportunities for women. Presently it is on the agenda to increase the traditionally low
proportion of female members of parliament by changing some provisions of election rules.
The greatest problems in Hungary are not gender opportunity issues: there are more
important concerns (e.g. budgetary and economic growth issues). Still, the “gender neutral
approach” is not sufficient either because it preserves the originally more disadvantageous
situation of women. Positive discrimination is required in several areas.
Notable gender inequalities have been found in the following issues:
• Life expectancy for women at birth is 76.9 years, while it is 68.6 years for men.
• 76.9 % of women with a degree are employed while this proportion for men is 85.1%.
The respective figures for those with secondary educational background are 62.7%
and 75.1%.
• While men‘s activity rate (within the age group of 15-74 years) is around 60%, that of
women is only around 45%.
• There are twice as many enterprises founded by men as those by women.
• There are 8% more women than men running a forced enterprise.
• The proportion of women who have turned from unemployed to self-employed is also
around one third.
• Women generally start a business with smaller funds than men.
• Women find it harder to settle into business networks traditionally controlled by men.
• Women tend to start businesses in the sector of personal services and retail trade,
where there is a strong competition and low profitability; still, they operate more
efficiently than men’s businesses.
• Women’s enterprises grow more cautiously, they increase the number of employees
at a slower pace, at the same time they are less willing to sack any of them.
Further differences between men and women:
• Hungarian women traditionally spend significantly more time child-raising and doing
housework than men
• a third of women with children do not return to the labour market
• women earn 15% less on average therefore they have smaller savings
• only 4% of women work part-time
• women stand a greater chance for unemployment
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