PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net

Confronting the Harsh Gender Gaps and Rising Risks for Men and Boys in Romania

November 14, 2025 – Romania faces growing concerns over the unequal conditions experienced by men and boys. From classrooms to workplaces, evidence shows persistent disadvantages that call for greater attention and policy response.

Education:
Men are increasingly underrepresented in higher education. In 2023, only 47.83% of males were enrolled in tertiary education, compared to 62.96% of females (1)(2). Women now make up 56% of new university entrants. Among adults aged 25–34, 26% of women hold a tertiary degree versus only 19% of men—evidence of a widening academic gap (3).

Health:
Romanian men face serious health challenges. Women live on average 80.5 years, while men reach just 72.9 years (4). Adult mortality rates reflect a similar disparity—179.6 per 1,000 men compared to 73.1 per 1,000 women (5).

Homicide:
Men are far more likely to be victims of homicide. The male homicide rate stands at 1.72 per 100,000 inhabitants, over three times the female rate of 0.54 (6).

Suicide:
Suicide claims men’s lives at much higher rates. Male suicide mortality is 16.4 per 100,000 compared to 3.3 for women.  Men are five times more likely to take their own lives (7)(8).

Child Custody:
In cases of sole custody, fathers are granted custody only about 25% of the time, while approximately 75% of such cases are awarded to mothers, highlighting the persistent gender imbalance in family courts (9).

Homelessness:
Most people experiencing homelessness are men.   76% of Romania’s homeless population are male, while only 24% are female (10).

Workplace:
Men also face higher risks on the job. They represent 71.6% of all workplace injury victims, compared to 28.4% for women (11).

Conclusion:
Romania must act decisively to close these gaps so that equality truly includes men and boys.

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/

Links:

1. https://tradingeconomics.com/romania/school-enrollment-tertiary-male-percent-gross-wb-data.html

2.https://tradingeconomics.com/romania/school-enrollment-tertiary-female-percent-gross-wb-data.html#:~:text=School%20enrollment%2C%20tertiary%2C%20female%20(%25%20gross)%20in%20Romania%20was,Bank%20on%20November%20of%202025.&text=Gross%20enrollment%20ratio%20is%20the,education%20at%20the%20secondary%20level.

3.https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/09/education-at-a-glance-2024-country-notes_532eb29d/romania_5b983fb1/50189b64-en.pdf

4.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Romania#:~:text=Table_content:%20header:%20%7C%20Demographics%20of%20Romania%20%7C,%7C%20:%201.71%20children%20born/woman%20(2022)%20%7C

5.https://genderdata.worldbank.org/en/indicator/sp-dyn-amrt?gender=male

6.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_statistics_by_gender

7.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.MA.P5

8.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.FE.P5

9.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11113-024-09909-z?utm

10.https://www.feantsa.org/download/romania-cfsh-jan-2017-final2599276833334601432.pdf

11. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/all/romania-survey-highlights-rural-urban-divide-workplace-health-and-safety