The representatives of the Western Balkans countries committed to a higher number of female employees at better paid and more qualified jobs, World Bank’s Linda Van Gelder said on Tuesday.

The WB's Country Director for the Western Balkans Region added that “an increase in possibilities for women in the Western Balkans has a key importance for the regional growth, development and joining the EU.”

Gelder was addressing the “Releasing of potential for economic growth in Western Balkans through improvement of righteousness and gender equality” conference, held in Vienna.

The estimates show that up to 18 percent of the regional GDP has been lost due to “gender gap” in the labour market, the statement from the conference says.

The conference was told that the Western Balkans’ women were better educated than before but still did not participate equally with men in the labour market, and even when they did it was likely that they would get low paid jobs.