Policy Press
Seven France: gender equality a pipe dream?
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Abstract
Since the 1970s, there have been intensive efforts by successive French governments to promote social policies designed to enable mothers to juggle both family responsibilities and full-time employment. In particular, at the beginning of the 1980s, as the Socialists came into power, there was a marked increase in the level of funds allocated for the construction of crèches by both the local authorities and the Caisse Nationale des Allocations Familiales (CNAF). This phenomenon coincided with the entry of many mothers of young children into the paid labour force. Today, along with the Nordic countries, France leads the European Union in the provision of childcare and benefits aimed at reducing childcare costs for families. These developments emerged along with the progressive implementation of parental leave policies. This chapter discusses the rationales that have underpinned the periodic changes in the politics of parental leave in France. It discusses the primary economic and social factors that influenced the decisions made by the successive governments. Finally, the chapter addresses the respective roles played by each social partner during the decision-making processes. The first part of the chapter offers a review of the institutions and social actors involved in the decision-making processes in the field of parental leave policies. The second part explores the issues outlined above.
Abstract
Since the 1970s, there have been intensive efforts by successive French governments to promote social policies designed to enable mothers to juggle both family responsibilities and full-time employment. In particular, at the beginning of the 1980s, as the Socialists came into power, there was a marked increase in the level of funds allocated for the construction of crèches by both the local authorities and the Caisse Nationale des Allocations Familiales (CNAF). This phenomenon coincided with the entry of many mothers of young children into the paid labour force. Today, along with the Nordic countries, France leads the European Union in the provision of childcare and benefits aimed at reducing childcare costs for families. These developments emerged along with the progressive implementation of parental leave policies. This chapter discusses the rationales that have underpinned the periodic changes in the politics of parental leave in France. It discusses the primary economic and social factors that influenced the decisions made by the successive governments. Finally, the chapter addresses the respective roles played by each social partner during the decision-making processes. The first part of the chapter offers a review of the institutions and social actors involved in the decision-making processes in the field of parental leave policies. The second part explores the issues outlined above.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures iv
- Acknowledgements v
- Notes on contributors vi
- Introduction 1
- Australia: the difficult birth of paid maternity leave 15
- Canada and Québec: two policies, one country 33
- Czech Republic: normative or choice-oriented system? 51
- Estonia: halfway from the Soviet Union to the Nordic countries 69
- Finland: negotiating tripartite compromises 87
- France: gender equality a pipe dream? 103
- Germany: taking a Nordic turn? 119
- Hungary and Slovenia: long leave or short? 135
- Iceland: from reluctance to fast-track engineering 159
- The Netherlands: bridging labour and care 175
- Norway: the making of the father’s quota 191
- Portugal and Spain: two pathways in Southern Europe 207
- Sweden: individualisation or free choice in parental leave? 227
- The European directive: making supra-national parental leave policy 243
- Conclusion 259
- Demographic, gender and early childhood policy indicators for case study countries (2005, 2006) 273
- Index 275
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of tables and figures iv
- Acknowledgements v
- Notes on contributors vi
- Introduction 1
- Australia: the difficult birth of paid maternity leave 15
- Canada and Québec: two policies, one country 33
- Czech Republic: normative or choice-oriented system? 51
- Estonia: halfway from the Soviet Union to the Nordic countries 69
- Finland: negotiating tripartite compromises 87
- France: gender equality a pipe dream? 103
- Germany: taking a Nordic turn? 119
- Hungary and Slovenia: long leave or short? 135
- Iceland: from reluctance to fast-track engineering 159
- The Netherlands: bridging labour and care 175
- Norway: the making of the father’s quota 191
- Portugal and Spain: two pathways in Southern Europe 207
- Sweden: individualisation or free choice in parental leave? 227
- The European directive: making supra-national parental leave policy 243
- Conclusion 259
- Demographic, gender and early childhood policy indicators for case study countries (2005, 2006) 273
- Index 275
