STRATEGIES AND VALUES TOWARDS CO-RESPONSIBILITY IN CARE IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Work-life balance policies are one of the most influential factors in the equal sharing of care between women and men. However, for far-reaching changes to take place in the gender-based division of work in societies, a new framework of social values must accompany those policies, so that care tasks cease to be associated with families and with women. The goal of this study is twofold. First, to establish relationships between work-life models and gender equality in the labor market. Second, to link work-life balance models in European countries with predominant social values in regard to gender equality in care and employment. The sources of information used are previous studies on work-life balance plus data from the OECD, Eurostat and the European Values Study. The main conclusion is that in some countries is there great coherence between work-life models and values held concerning gender equality. These are the countries with advanced models (the Nordics) and some countries with traditional models (part of those that were socialist). In other countries, despite the existence of values favorable to gender equality, traditional work-life models persist. In many cases, part-time employment among women guarantees care management.