Are employers allowed to give preference in promotion to a male employee if the other applicant with comparable experience and qualifications is a young woman who is likely to have a baby soon?

No. The employer must ensure equal treatment for women and men in the case of promotion pursuant to the law. The activities of an employer are deemed to be discriminatory if the employer overlooks a person or treats a person less favourably in any other way due to pregnancy, child-birth, parenting, performance of family obligations or other circumstances related to gender in the case of promotion (subsections 6 (1) and clause 6 (2) 1) of the Gender Equality Act).

Assumptions such as that a woman of childbearing age is planning to have children, that a man does not want to become a parent or that a parent is no longer sufficiently committed to work while raising a child are deeply misguided as well as discriminatory and therefore prohibited. It is also unacceptable not to promote someone because they are already pregnant or a parent.
Subsection 6 (1), clause 6 (2) 1) of the Gender Equality Act

This explanation does not constitute legal aid in a specific case. Therefore, if you feel that you have been treated unequally, but you did not find a solution to your problem in this article, or if you have a question, please contact the Equality Commissioner by e-mail at avaldus@volinik.ee or telephone +372 626 9059. The anonymity of the person is guaranteed when contacting the Commissioner.