More care services needed for women to join labour market

Increasingly, society's evolution is challenging the traditional concept of family and definitions of families, and family policies should extend to quality publicly-funded care for dependents and state benefits which recognise families in their diversity.

Caring duties and costs must not fall solely on families, and in particular, women. Member states must take responsibility for the well being and the full integration of dependents.

On the occasion of International Day on Families 2007 on May 15, which recognised the diversity of family types and their particular challenges, the European Women's Lobby (EWL) wrote an open letter to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Here are excerpts of the letter:

"On the occasion of the International Day on Families, the EWL would like to... highlight some issues that are crucial for all women and men in Europe, namely the EU's strategy and commitments in relation to care services for children and people with additional support needs.

"In the 1957 Treaty of Rome, Europe made its first commitment to equality between women and men. In 2002, with the Barcelona targets, all EU member states made concrete commitments to improve the situation in relation to care services. Time has passed since those commitments were made, and in 2007, the lack of care services in the EU is an issue for many households in Europe and still a major obstacle women's full participation in all aspects of economic, social, cultural and political life.

"One prerequisite to achieve equality between women and men is for women to be economically independent. Caring responsibilities, which are still mainly carried out by women, impact on to gender equality and on women's ability for life-course integration into the labour market.

"In 2006-2007, the EWL has been leading a campaign on care, entitled "Who Cares?", in which it appeals to decision-makers to create affordable, quality and accessible care services in Europe.

"The petition, which we are presenting to you today was part of the EWL campaign and was signed by thousands of women and men of all ages throughout Europe, who are concerned and affected by this issue.

"On behalf of the concerned Europeans who signed the petition and in view of the commitments made by the European Commission, notably in the roadmap for equality between women and men, we would like to ask you what are the intentions of the Commission in relation to the points raised by the petition, namely:

• The achievement of the childcare targets adopted during the Barcelona Council (to provide childcare by 2010 to at least 90 per cent of children between three years old and the mandatory school age and at least 33 per cent of children under three years of age);

• Universal and affordable provision of care services for older, disabled and other dependents, including setting European targets to achieve this goal;

• Strengthening of EU legislation on the reconciliation of work and private life for women and men including maternity, paternity and parental leave.

"On the occasion of International Families Day... we would like to stress that families in Europe are of many different kinds and that the 'breadwinner' model based on nuclear families, on which social protection systems and social policies are often based in Europe, doesn't bring appropriate answers to the daily life of women and men in Europe.

"Concrete measures to improve the situation in relation to care services and to reconciliation of private and working life are urgently needed.

"We very much hope that the Commission will take the lead in tackling these issues in a way that will contribute to achieving equality between women and men and strengthening the European social model." A local women's rights group - the International Institute for Gender Studies - is supporting the EWL's initiatives. For further information, contact Dr Joan Ribi on e-mail: joanribi@hotmail.com