ABSTRACT
Women's economic activities in Central and Eastern Europe reflect the impact of policies toward women adopted during more than forty years of Communist rule. The chapter examines some of the implications of the changes for women's employment. It focuses on the changes that occurred in women's work and family lives during the Communist period. The chapter discusses the impact of political and economic changes on women's work and gender roles. Women's economic activities and other aspects of gender relations in Central and Eastern Europe were influenced profoundly by four decades of Communist rule. Communist policies toward women and the consequences of other policies adopted during the Communist period led to an increase in women's educational access and to women's large-scale entry into employment outside the home. Women's wages and occupations also reflected the different educations men and women received.
