Women remain the main carers of children and the elderly in all the EU’s member states despite various attempts to implement policies and actions that increase gender equality.

The latest data presented in a recent study of the European Institute for Gender Equality shows that women of working age spend three times longer than men on childcare per day. Care responsibilities are the main reason for women working significantly more hours compared to men to successfully combine private and working life.

The EIGE is a European agency which supports the EU and its member states in their efforts to promote gender equality, to fight discrimination based on sex and to raise awareness about gender equality issues.

In order to balance work and family, especially care responsibilities, women within several European countries chose part-time work in greater numbers compared to men. Still, part-time work does not offer the same level of work stability, career opportunities and income like full-time employment and it has effects on pensions and other social security rights. These all affect women strongly compared to men and have an effect on their life status for later age periods. Therefore, part-time work should not be considered as the optimal policy solution for a work life balance promotion.

The 1996 EU Directive on Parental Leave was designed to minimise the conflict between work and family responsibilities, for both women and men. It also aimed at offering support to women’s participation in the labour market. In 2010, new changes were brought to the directive to assure a better gender equality and non-discrimination principle. EU member states have to adjust their national policies and actions to the directive as the legal framework around this policy differs across Europe.

For example, where parental leave is transferable or poorly paid, it is still the women taking care of the children. Employers may therefore favour male recruits as they are less likely to incur replacement costs.

Although all European member states are addressing the issue of reconciliation policies and are seeking success such as in Sweden, Denmark and Finland where fathers’ participation in parental leave is representing 20 per cent, great disparity remains.