Women, family life and studies discussed at EP hearing
The need for a new regulatory framework for measures to reconcile family life and a period of studies for young women in the European Union was discussed last week during a hearing organised at the European Parliament by the Committee on women's rights...
The need for a new regulatory framework for measures to reconcile family life and a period of studies for young women in the European Union was discussed last week during a hearing organised at the European Parliament by the Committee on women's rights and gender equality.
The hearing was based on an own initiative report by Greek MEP Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou on the same subject, aiming to identify effective measures to help young women in the EU to reconcile family life with their studies.
According to the report, Europe's aging population is an unprecedented challenge for the whole of society and public policies need to be adapted to the new demographic order. Young people should be provided with measures to reconcile their family life and keep on studying.
The hearing in Brussels was also addressed by two Maltese participants. Grace Attard represented the views of the section of employment, social affairs and citizenship of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and Claudette Abela Baldacchino represented the Commission for culture and education of the Committee of the Regions.
Ms Attard stressed the need that the EU must take the lead in helping young women improve their education. She said this could be done through the development of ICT facilities open to these women, which will also offer child-minding services. She suggested that incentives be also introduced for fathers in support of young mothers to be able to take up studying. This could take the shape of paternity leave for study purposes, Ms Attard suggested.
On her part, Ms Abela Baldacchino said that flexible or reduced working hours should be promoted, both to facilitate childcare and to support young people who wish to study. She said that there must not be a one size fits all policy. Working hours are too rigid and do not allow young people to spend time on both work and studies. There is a need to establish a European benchmark in this respect, Ms Abela Baldacchino concluded.