Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-22-Speech-3-402"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100922.25.3-402"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
The honourable Member has raised a very thorny issue in these difficult economic times. The Council is aware that unpaid carers are at greater risk of poverty, as their duties limit participation in the labour market.
The first issue to address is how to reintegrate unpaid carers into the labour market. The Council is aware of the difficulties encountered by those who have taken a career break in order to provide unpaid care services and has urged Member States to ensure that provision is made for these individuals within national pension systems.
For example, in the directive on the revised framework agreement on parental leave, the Council stipulates that, at the end of parental leave, a worker is entitled to return to his/her position or an equivalent or similar post in accordance with his/her employment contract or relationship. The Council understands that the Commission has consulted the social partners about the possibility of adopting new forms of parental leave, such as adoption leave and leave to care for family members.
The second factor is gender inequality. The Council has highlighted the fact that the majority of family care is still provided by women, largely as a result of social stereotypes linked to the social and domestic roles of men and women. As part of the Beijing Platform of Action, in 2007, the Council adopted conclusions on the question of women and poverty which include a set of indicators designed to allow Member States and the Commission to monitor this key issue.
In its conclusions, the Council had to make allowance for the fact that the decision to provide unpaid care work rather than take paid employment can be a personal choice, although gender inequalities mean that career breaks taken for family reasons tend to be a problem specific to women. The decision can affect those women’s financial independence and the degree of social protection afforded to them, particularly at retirement age, when many women are forced to make do with a very modest pension.
In view of all this, the Council has highlighted the need for a more equitable distribution of caring tasks between men and women. The Council has also stressed on a number of occasions the need for a childcare infrastructure and care services for other dependents.
As the population ages, we are going to be faced with growing numbers of older citizens who will need care. In its conclusions on ‘gender equality: strengthening growth and employment’, adopted in November 2009, the Council stressed the long-term strategic importance of these questions for the Union, not least in view of population trends.
There is a clear correlation between high female employment rates, the availability of childcare and care services, and high birth rates. The Council therefore advocates adopting policies that will allow men and women to achieve a better work/life balance."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples