In this paper we focus on estimating the gender difference in wages using data from the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) conducted in Belarus in 2017. The results show that the average gender wage differential amounts to 22.6%. We use quantile regressions to look at difference in returns at various earnings deciles and then the Oaxaca-Blinder and Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition techniques to define the components that form the wage gap. We find that the adjusted gender pay gap is mostly formed by the difference in rewards rather than personal characteristics. The gap increases throughout the wage distribution and accelerates at the top deciles indicating presence of a strong glass ceiling effect

The issue of gender equality in Belarus labor market is still unclear. On the one hand the rate of female participation is high. At the same time there is evidence of the rising gender pay gap that grew from 16.5% in 2005 to 24% in 2014. The decomposition of the wage gap during 2005- 2014 time period using Oaxaca-Blinder, Juhn-Murphy-Pierce and Machado-Mata techniques revealed that differences in income function (the difference in a way efforts of men and women are remunerated) are the main factors affecting the growth of gender inequality, while the personal characteristics are losing the influencing power. The role of the factors differs depending on the quantile of income distribution. I also find no association between wages and marriage for females, while there is a 10.5% wage premium in case of married males. The parenthood wage penalty is attributed to women and equals approximately 14.4%. Moreover, children from 0 to 6 provide the most severe drop in wages. In addition, the paper reveals that educated women are suffering the most and face 20.4% decline in wages, while penalty for women with the secondary school or lower amounts to just 8%.

Little knowledge exists on difference in innovation behavior of men and women leading the SMEs in transition countries. This paper estimates whether there is a gender gap in SMEs innovation actions. Results show that propensity to innovate is higher among female owners and this finding preserves for 5 measures of innovativeness. Thus, female involvement in business might be beneficial for the innovative sustainable development of economy. Estimation of the gap in performance of implemented innovations did not reveal any strong prevailing gender in terms of efficiency.

This is the first paper to study the evolution of the gender wage gap in the Republic of Belarus.