An article examined the role of social partners in the European Union in addressing pay inequalities between men and women.
Source: Mark Smith, 'Social regulation of the gender pay gap in the EU', European Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 18 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the conformity of European leave regulations to four theoretical 'ideal typical' divisions of labour: male breadwinner, caregiver parity, universal breadwinner, and universal caregiver. It focused on the extent to which leave regulations promoted gender equality in the family and the transformation of traditional gender roles. European countries were found to cluster into five models that only partly coincided with countries' geographical proximity. None of the countries considered constituted a universal caregiver model, while the male breadwinner ideal continued to provide the normative reference point for parental leave regulations in a large number of states. There was a growing emphasis at the national and European Union levels concerning the universal breadwinner ideal, which left gender inequality in unpaid work 'unproblematized'.
Source: Rossella Ciccia and Mieke Verloo, 'Parental leave regulations and the persistence of the male breadwinner model: using fuzzy-set ideal type analysis to assess gender equality in an enlarged Europe', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A report examined how to close gender gaps in economic life in developed (OECD) countries. It said that greater gender equality in educational attainment had a strong positive effect on economic growth. Stereotyping needed to be addressed in educational choices at school from a young age. Good and affordable childcare was a key factor for better gender equality in employment. But change also had to happen at home, as the bulk of housework and caring was left to women in many countries.
Source: Closing the Gender Gap: Act Now, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report | Summary | UK note | OECD press release | EWL press release | Daily Mail report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-Dec
The Council of the European Union called for co-ordinated policies to combat and eliminate all forms of violence against women. It invited the European Parliament, European Commission, and member states to ensure appropriate and sustainable funding for the provision of support services for victims of domestic violence.
Source: Council Conclusions on Combating Violence Against Women, and the Provision of Support Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, European Union
Links: Conclusions
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined how entitlements to paid leave after the birth of children affected female labour market outcomes across developed (OECD) countries. Extensions of paid leave lengths were found to have a positive, albeit small, influence on female employment rates and on the gender ratio of employment, as long as the total period of paid leave was no longer than approximately two years. Additional weeks of leave, however, exerted a negative effect on female employment and the gender employment gap. Paid leave positively affected the average number of hours worked by women relative to men, though also on condition that the total duration of leave did not exceed certain limits. By contrast, the provision of paid leave widened the earnings gender gap among full-time employees.
Source: Olivier Thevenon and Anne Solaz, Labour Market Effects of Parental Leave Policies in OECD Countries, Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper 141, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the vertical and horizontal dimensions of occupational gender segregation in industrial countries. The expected male advantage with regard to pay was found: however, contrary to popular beliefs, women were consistently advantaged in terms of stratification. Also, it was found that the position of women was more favourable where the overall segregation was higher – the lower the male advantage on pay, the greater the female advantage on stratification.
Source: Jennifer Jarman, Robert Blackburn, and Girts Racko, 'The dimensions of occupational gender segregation in industrial countries', Sociology, Volume 46 Issue 6
Links: Abstract | Cambridge University press release | Warwick University press release
Date: 2012-Dec
An article examined the extent to which the emergence of an anti-discrimination policy in the European Union implied a shift in gender equality policies towards an intersectional approach.
Source: Emanuela Lombardo and Lise Rolandsen Agust n, 'Framing gender intersections in the European Union: what implications for the quality of intersectionality in policies?', Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, Volume 19 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A paper examined the extent to which the increase in women's human capital, as measured by educational attainment, had contributed to economic growth in developed (OECD) countries countries over the previous five decades. There had been a 'positive and significant' impact of the increase in women's educational attainment relative to men's on output per capita growth, implying that the comparative advantage of men relative to women regarding educational attainment had weakened over time, and had even reversed in many countries. The potential effect of increased female labour force participation on economic growth was dependent on the rate at which male and female labour force participation would converge, with a potential gain of 12 per cent to the size of the total economy by 2030, on average across OECD countries, if complete convergence occurred in the following 20 years.
Source: Olivier Thevenon, Nabil Ali, Willem Adem, and Angelica Salvi del Pero, Effects of Reducing Gender Gaps in Education and Labour Force Participation on Economic Growth in the OECD, Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper 138, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Date: 2012-Dec
A new book examined the extent to which women and migrant/minority groups were included or excluded in European public spheres.
Source: Birte Siim and Monika Mokre (eds), Negotiating Gender and Diversity in an Emergent European Public Sphere, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Nov
A report examined the impact of austerity on women's rights and gender equality in Europe. Although austerity measures were hurting all groups, women were hit the hardest – public sector employment and public services concerned women to a far greater extent than men. Narrowing gender gaps in employment, unemployment, and pay should not to be interpreted as growing gender equality, but rather as a deterioration of the working and living conditions for all.
Source: Anna Elomaki, The Price of Austerity: The impact on women s rights and gender equality in Europe, European Women's Lobby
Links: Report | EWL press release
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined variations in the gender gap in associational involvement in European countries, based on memberships in voluntary associations. There was a 'complex relationship' between societal context and the gender gap in associational involvement. The latter might be another piece in the jigsaw puzzle of overall gender inequality in contemporary societies.
Source: Sascha Peter and Sonja Drobnic, 'Women and their memberships: gender gap in relational dimension of social inequality', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 31 publication
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Nov
A study identified and mapped existing data and resources on sexual violence against women in the European Union. Domestic violence against women remained widespread and under-reported, and victims of violence were not effectively supported by public services.
Source: The Study to Identify and Map Existing Data and Resources on Sexual Violence against Women in the EU, European Institute for Gender Equality
Links: Report | Summary | EIGE press release | EWL press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A report by a committee of peers said that introducing mandatory quotas for the number of women on the boards of companies in the European Union would 'generate negative perceptions among women and business leaders and would not address the root causes of inequality'.
Source: Women on Boards, 5th Report (Session 2012–13), HL 58, House of Lords European Union Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Nov
A paper made a series of recommendations designed to tackle the multiple discrimination suffered by older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and intersexual people in Europe.
Source: Equality for Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Europe, AGE Platform Europe/European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Nov
The European Commission proposed legislation designed to ensure that women occupied not less than 40 per cent of non-executive positions on the boards of publicly listed European companies (with the exception of small and medium enterprises).
Source: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Improving the Gender Balance among Non-Executive Directors of Companies Listed on Stock Exchanges and Related Measures, European Commission
Links: Draft Directive | European Commission press release | DBIS press release | CBI press release | European Parliament press release | EWL press release | SD Group press release
Date: 2012-Nov
A study presented an overview of problems faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and intersexual people as identified in European Union studies, along with EU actions taken in this area to date. It made recommendations with a timeline that could be included in a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Source: Vanessa Leigh, Levent Altan, and Jordan Long (with Evelyne Paradis), Towards an EU Roadmap for Equality on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, European Parliament
Links: Report | European Parliament press release
Date: 2012-Oct
A paper examined the gendered nature of multi-dimensional poverty in European countries. Gender was a prime factor in explaining why some people were at risk of poverty rather than others. The authors computed poverty indexes based on the incomes definitely attributable to individuals in a household (such as income from paid work), and assume only that the rest were equally shared. Based on the resulting 'dependency rate', more than half of all married or cohabiting women were found to be at risk of poverty in a number of countries, including Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria. In the United Kingdom, the figure approached 40 per cent.
Source: Fabrizio Botti, Marcella Corsi, and Carlo D Ippoliti, The Gendered Nature of Multidimensional Poverty in the European Union, Working Paper 12/026, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (Brussels)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Oct
The European Union published a review of progress toward greater gender diversity in corporate boardrooms.
Source: Women in Economic Decision-Making in the EU: Progress report, European Union
Links: Report | European Union press release
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined whether recent changes in family structure and female employment patterns had altered the distribution of income in western countries. The results supported the hypothesis that increased female employment reduced income inequality: but that increased prevalence of lone-mother families heightened income inequality. Limited evidence also suggested that educational homogamy between spouses and partners explained some of the differences in income inequality among countries.
Source: Christopher Kollmeyer, Family Structure, Female Employment, and National Income Inequality: A cross-national study of 16 western countries, Working Paper 579, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper examined gender differences in occupational returns from long-distance moves, drawing on evidence from the United Kingdom and Germany. Women in dual-earner couples were temporarily adversely affected in their careers by long-distance moves in both countries.
Source: Philipp Lersch, Long-Distance Moves and Labour Market Outcomes of Dual-Earner Couples in the UK and Germany, SOEP 469-2012, German Institute for Economic Research
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
A report examined changes in women's employment patterns across European Union countries over the previous 20 years. Women's employment trends were related to the institutional and policy changes that had been introduced in almost all European countries since the end of the 1990s. Such changes had an important impact on the labour market opportunities of women by affecting the quality of potential jobs available, the chances to (re-)enter the labour market, and the opportunity costs of employment (as against non-employment).
Source: Angela Cipollone, Eleonora Patacchini, and Giovanna Vallanti, Women's Labour Market Performance in Europe: Trends and shaping factors, Centre for European Policy Studies (Brussels)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Sep
An article developed a typology of different family policy systems in Europe and evaluated their impact on the employment strategy of mothers with care responsibilities for dependent children. It identified four different family policy models: extensive family policy, long parental leave, family care, and cash for care. For each model, different strategies were found for the take-up of employment by mothers with dependent children.
Source: Thomas Boje and Anders Ejrn s, 'Policy and practice: the relationship between family policy regime and women's labour market participation in Europe', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined the key demographic, institutional, and cultural arguments found in the literature on the legalization of gay marriage – especially as these pertained to cross-national comparison – and raised questions about assumptions regarding the extent to which there was variation on these variables across western countries. Institutional and cultural explanations were only meaningful in explaining legalization when their combinations were specified in order to shed light on favourable (or unfavourable) circumstances for policy outcomes.
Source: David Pettinicchio, 'Current explanations for the variation in same-sex marriage policies in western countries', Comparative Sociology, Volume 11 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined cross-national differences between European countries in the employment rates of women with children under age 3. It said that it was not only differences in welfare state family policies, but also differences in the gender culture, that contributed to the explanation of such differences.
Source: Birgit Pfau-Effinger, 'Women's employment in the institutional and cultural context', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined how employed women perceived the reconciliation of work and family life in 7 European countries (including Great Britain). The most important factors influencing employed women's perceptions were workload, the presence of children in the household, and part-time employment. In countries where family policies focused on integrating men and women into the labour market, women rated the reconciliation of work and family life more highly than in countries where family policies were aimed at supporting the family.
Source: Marina Hennig, Stefan Stuth, Mareike Ebach, and Anna Erika Hagglund, 'How do employed women perceive the reconciliation of work and family life? A seven-country comparison of the impact of family policies on women's employment', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined the relationship between individual-level housework conflict and country-level measures of divorce and women's bargaining power, using European Social Survey data. Both men and women reported more housework conflict in countries with higher rates of women's full-time labour force participation and divorce, and women reported less conflict in countries with higher rates of marriage.
Source: Leah Ruppanner, 'Housework conflict and divorce: a multi-level analysis', Work, Employment and Society, Volume 26 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Aug
An article examined trends in time use in seven industrialized countries (including the United Kingdom) from the 1970s onwards. There had been general decreases in men's market work coupled with increases in men's unpaid work and childcare, and increases in women's paid work and childcare coupled with decreases in unpaid work. Trends in leisure inequality mirrored the general increase in income and earnings inequality experienced in most countries over this period, especially after the mid-1980s.
Source: Almudena Sevilla and Jose Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal, 'Trends in time allocation: a cross-country analysis', European Economic Review, Volume 56 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
See also: Jose Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal and Almudena Sevilla, Trends in Time Allocation: A cross-country analysis, Discussion Paper 547, Department of Economics, University of Oxford
Date: 2012-Jul
A new book examined the difference that women's movements and feminism had made to experiences and practices of citizenship in Europe; and assessed the state of citizenship in contemporary Europe from the perspective of women, particularly women in minority groups.
Source: Beatrice Halsaa, Sasha Roseneil, and Sevil Sumer (eds), Remaking Citizenship in Multicultural Europe: Women's movements, gender and diversity, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jul
An article examined how employed women perceived the reconciliation of work and family life in seven European countries (including Great Britain), and why women in certain countries were more successful in combining family responsibilities with paid work. The most important factors influencing employed women's perceptions were workload, the presence of children in the household, and part-time employment.
Source: Marina Hennig, Stefan Stuth, Mareike Ebach, and Anna Erika Hagglund, 'How do employed women perceive the reconciliation of work and family life? A seven-country comparison of the impact of family policies on women s employment', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined gender mainstreaming in national healthcare systems in England and Germany.
Source: Ellen Kuhlmann and Ellen Annandale, 'Mainstreaming gender into healthcare: a scoping exercise into policy transfer in England and Germany', Current Sociology, Volume 60 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
An annual report examined developments towards gender equality in the European Union in 2011.
Source: Progress on Equality Between Women and Men in 2011, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined the characteristics and determinants of gender differences in mobility patterns in Europe, and presented an overview of how transport policies had been adapted to support women's mobility needs – focusing on examples in four European countries (including the United Kingdom). It underlined the need to consider gender and environment mainstreaming in transport policies.
Source: Manuela Samek Lodovici, Flavia Pesce, Patrizia Malgieri, Silvia Maffi, and Caterina Rosa, The Role of Women in the Green Economy: The issue of mobility, European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
A report examined discrimination in Europe on the grounds of gender identity and gender expression. Discrimination against trans and intersex people remained widespread and took many forms. At the same time, the legal means to combat it were limited: but there were promising approaches in the laws of some member states, which could and should serve as a model for others to follow.
Source: Silvan Agius and Christa Tobler, Trans and Intersex People: Discrimination on the grounds of sex, gender identity and gender expression, European Network of Legal Experts in the Non-Discrimination Field (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
An article sought to develop a typology of different family policy systems in Europe, and to evaluate their impact on the employment strategy of mothers with care responsibilities for dependent children. It identified four different family policy models: extensive family policy, long parental leave, family care, and cash for care. For each of the models different strategies were found for take-up of employment for mothers with dependent children.
Source: Thomas Peder Boje and Anders Ejrn s, 'Policy and practice – the relationship between family policy regime and women's labour market participation in Europe', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined cross-national differences in Europe in the employment rates of women with children under age 3. Differences in family policies alone did not explain cross-national differences: an explanation required consideration of a more complex framework of factors, to which culture certainly contributed substantially.
Source: Birgit Pfau-Effinger, 'Women's employment in institutional and cultural context', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Volume 32 Issue 9/10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jun
A paper examined the influence of parental status on the incomes of men and women in eight industrialized countries (including the United Kingdom). An employer bias was found against mothers in all countries except the Netherlands, and a bias toward fathers in all countries except the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Source: Ian Lundberg, Gender-Differentiated Effects of Parenthood on Earnings: Understanding cross-national variation in the motherhood penalty and fatherhood bonus, Working Paper 576, Luxembourg Income Study
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined country variation in the associations between motherhood and earnings, in cultural attitudes surrounding women's employment, and in childcare and parental leave policies. It looked at how cultural attitudes moderated the impact of policies on women's earnings across developed countries. Parental leave and public childcare were associated with higher earnings for mothers when cultural support for maternal employment was high: but they had less positive, or even negative, relationships with earnings where cultural attitudes supported the male breadwinner/female caregiver model.
Source: Michelle Budig, Joya Misra, and Irene Boeckmann, 'The motherhood penalty in cross-national perspective: the importance of work family policies and cultural attitudes', Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, Volume 19 Number 2
Links: Abstract
See also: Michelle Budig, Joya Misra, and Irene Boeckmann, The Motherhood Penalty in Cross-National Perspective: The importance of work–family policies and cultural attitudes, Working Paper 542, Luxembourg Income Study
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined how gender inequalities in contemporary societies were changing, and how further changes towards greater gender equality might be achieved. The focus of the book was on inequalities in production and reproductive activities, as played out over time and in specific contexts. It examined the different forms that gendered lives took in the household and the workplace, and explored how gender equalities might be promoted in a changing world. It considered not only the causes of gender inequalities but also the ongoing implications for economic well-being and societal integration.
Source: Jacqueline Scott, Shirley Dex, and Anke Plagnol (eds.), Gendered Lives: Gender inequalities in production and reproduction, Edward Elgar Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the degree to which mothers in industrialized societies were less likely to be employed than women without children. Over time, women were increasingly likely to combine motherhood and employment in many, but not all, countries. Both mothers and women without children were more likely to be employed in societies with a large service sector and low unemployment. The employment of women without children was generally unaffected by family policies. Mothers were more likely to be employed in societies with extensive reconciliation policies and limited family allowances.
Source: Rense Nieuwenhuis, Ariana Need, and Henk Van Der Kolk, 'Institutional and demographic explanations of women's employment in 18 OECD countries, 1975-1999', Journal of Marriage and Family, Volume 74 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A report (adopted by the European Parliament) called on the European Commission to take further action to promote equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value.
Source: Edit Bauer, Report with Recommendations to the Commission on Application of the Principle of Equal Pay for Male and Female Workers for Equal Work or Work of Equal Value, Committee on Women s Rights and Gender Equality/European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-May
An article examined the influence of state, workplace, and family support on the working hours of employed mothers in Europe, and how these different support sources interacted. There was evidence that the availability of supportive workplace arrangements and family support positively affected the working hours of employed mothers, and that state policies facilitating the traditional family had a negative effect.
Source: Anja-Kristin Abendroth, Tanja van der Lippe, and Ineke Maas, 'Social support and the working hours of employed mothers in Europe: the relevance of the state, the workplace, and the family', Social Science Research, Volume 41 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
An article examined theoretical and policy literature on gender mainstreaming in employment within the European Union between 1998 and 2011. It highlighted ambiguities as to whether gender mainstreaming was, first and foremost, a policy or a strategy; over how inequality should be articulated (in terms of the sameness or difference between women's and men's concerns); and over whether gender mainstreaming research should be defined as focusing primarily on 'women' or on 'gender'.
Source: Iris Rittenhofer and Caroline Gatrell, 'Gender mainstreaming and employment in the European Union: a review and analysis of theoretical and policy literatures', International Journal of Management Reviews, Volume 14 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-May
A report examined the human rights situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people in Europe. It said that no country could claim to provide full legal equality for LGBTI people – though the United Kingdom had the best record.
Source: Cailin Mackenzie, Evelyne Paradis, Silvan Agius, and Juris Lavrikovs, Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People in Europe 2011, ILGA-Europe
Links: Report | ILGA press release
Date: 2012-May
A report said that breaking down barriers to gender equality in education, employment, and entrepreneurship would create new sources of economic growth in developed countries and help make better use of everyone's skills.
Source: Gender Equality in Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship: Final report to the MCM 2012, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Links: Report | OECD press release
Date: 2012-May
A study set out 83 indicators designed to enable the inclusion of a gender perspective in the evaluation of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Source: Paola Villa, Elvira Gonzalez, and Silvia Sansonetti, Data for the Evaluation of the European Semester Process from a Gender Equality Perspective, European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Apr
An article compared the skills and autonomy of female part-time workers in Britain and Sweden. Female part-time employees in Sweden held positions of higher skill and had more autonomy compared with their equivalents in Britain. Even so, both British and Swedish part-time employees faced relative disadvantage when compared with female full-time workers. Differences in the institutional systems of Sweden and Britain did have a significant effect on the absolute skill level of part-time work: but the relative disadvantage of part-timers persisted despite Swedish policies giving greater salience to improvements in the quality of work.
Source: Karin Hallden, Duncan Gallie, and Ying Zhou, 'The skills and autonomy of female part-time work in Britain and Sweden', Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Volume 30 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Apr
A report provided an updated general overview of the transposition of European Union gender equality law in the 27 EU member states and certain other European countries.
Source: Sacha Prechal and Susanne Burri (updated by Susanne Burri and Hanneke van Eijken), Gender Equality Law in 33 European Countries: Update 2011, European Network of Legal Experts in the Non-Discrimination Field (European Commission)
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Apr
A new book examined the relationship between gender and welfare states. It considered how far governments had moved from male breadwinner assumptions to gender equality assumptions, and how far gender differences continued to influence social policy and practice. It analyzed the male breadwinner model in terms of power, employment, care, time, and income.
Source: Gillian Pascall, Gender Equality in the Welfare State?, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Apr
A report reviewed the evidence on the effectiveness of legal instruments as compared with voluntary regimes in narrowing the gender gap on corporate management board in Europe. It found that legal instruments to enforce quotas were an effective and fast means of achieving change. The use of voluntary regimes had led to some increase in the proportion of women on corporate boards: but the effects were significantly smaller and slower.
Source: Gender Quotas in Management Boards, Committee on Gender Equality/European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Mar
A survey examined Europeans' perceptions of gender inequalities, focusing on the issue of pay gaps and the measures considered likely to be most effective in reducing them. It also discussed the measures that could be taken to address the under-representation of men or women in certain occupations.
Source: TNS Political & Social, Gender Inequalities in the European Union, European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined how much scope spouses should have to conclude agreements concerning their financial affairs – and under what circumstances such agreements should be binding and enforceable. It drew on a comparative study of the relevant law of England and Wales, Scotland, and 12 other (mainly European) countries..
Source: Jens Scherpe (ed.), Marital Agreements and Private Autonomy in Comparative Perspective, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined the changing experiences and roles of women in European countries. It looked at topics such as work, professionalization, sexuality, consumerism, migration, and activism.
Source: Joanna Regulska and Bonnie Smith (eds.), Women and Gender in Postwar Europe: From Cold War to European Union, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined legal issues related to cross-border reproductive care in the European Union. The EU's interests in harmonization and unification were at odds with the right to national identity of individual states in areas of contested morality.
Source: Wannes Van Hoof and Guido Pennings, 'Extraterritorial laws for cross-border reproductive care: the issue of legal diversity', European Journal of Health Law, Volume 19 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the determinants of cross-national variation in women's chances of being in a high-status occupation in 12 west European countries. In general, a large service sector and a high trade union density enhanced women's chances of being in high-status occupations, and a large public sector helped to reduce the channelling of women into low-waged employment. Equality at the top could well be paired with inequality at the bottom, as post-industrial countries with a highly polarized occupational hierarchy such as the United Kingdom showed.
Source: Andrea Schafer, Ingrid Tucci, and Karin Gottschall, 'Top down or bottom up? A cross-national study of vertical occupational sex segregation in 12 European countries', Comparative Social Research, Volume 29
Links: Abstract
See also: Andrea Schafer, Ingrid Tucci, and Karin Gottschall, Top Down or Bottom Up? A cross-national study of vertical occupational sex segregation in twelve European countries, Working Paper 4/2011, Centre for Social Policy Research (University of Bremen)
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the impact of welfare states on gender inequality in developed countries. It challenged the assumption that welfare states had uniform effects: their impact was necessarily conditioned by women's relative advantage or disadvantage in the labour market. Welfare state policies tended to limit the economic rewards of highly skilled women, but did not adversely affect, and by some measures actually benefited, those who were less skilled. More research was needed to explore differentiated approaches to reconciling work and family, rather than addressing universal work-family tensions.
Source: Hadas Mandel, 'Winners and losers: the consequences of welfare state policies for gender wage inequality', European Sociological Review, Volume 28 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
A new book examined the access by women to top positions in businesses in Europe.
Source: Fredrik Engelstad and Mari Teigen (eds.), Firms, Boards and Gender Quotas: Comparative perspectives, Emerald Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Mar
The European Commission said that women made up just 14 per cent of the members of Europe's biggest publicly listed companies, and only 3 per cent of board chairs. It began a consultation on ways to get companies to appoint more women to their boards of directors – including the option of setting quotas.
Source: Women in Economic Decision-Making in the EU: Progress Report, European Commission
Links: Report | European Commission press release | CBI press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the effect of the unequal division of labour in Europe within the household on women's subjective assessment of happiness.
Source: Letizia Mencarini and Maria Sironi, 'Happiness, housework and gender inequality in Europe', European Sociological Review, Volume 28 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the meaning of equality being elaborated in Europe with respect to legal protection from discrimination related to gender identity and sexual orientation. Some interpretations entailed little challenge to the general social order, in particular where equality was understood to mean formal equal treatment of individuals in comparable situations. In contrast, more radical readings of equality posed a challenge to established social conventions around gender or the family.
Source: Mark Bell, 'Gender identity and sexual orientation: alternative pathways in EU equality law', American Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 60 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined whether favourable taxation of married couples had distorted women's employment decisions in developed (OECD) countries during the period 1979-2002. Distortions accounted for some of the variation in female labour market participation: but there was also strong evidence that unfavourable market conditions due to high unemployment, as well as few income opportunities, had a deterring effect on female labour force participation, indicating that the decision to work was also driven by market forces. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, in particular, tax distortions had played a crucial role in distorting incentives to work.
Source: Peter Schwarz, 'Tax disincentives and female employment in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries', Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 22 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article compared and contrasted the jurisprudence and policy debates in Europe and the United States of America on mandatory maternity leave and retirement. In the USA employment equality was closely tied to preserving individuals' choice to work, whereas in Europe employment equality required collectively imposed norms about the role of work in a person's life cycle.
Source: Julie Suk, 'From antidiscrimination to equality: stereotypes and the life cycle in the United States and Europe', American Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 60 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
An article said that some recent instruments and policies dealing with gender equality in Europe reflected a move from a narrow anti-discrimination frame to a broader model that tackled the under-participation and disempowerment of women in public and private life as a deficiency of democracy and a problem of citizenship.
Source: Ruth Rubio-Marin, 'A new European parity-democracy sex equality model and why it won't fly in the United States', American Journal of Comparative Law, Volume 60 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A report said that progress towards the equal representation of women and men in the boardrooms of European companies remained 'slow', although recent initiatives in some European Union member states did represent some progress.
Source: Women on Boards in Europe: From a snail's pace to a giant leap?, European Women's Lobby
Links: Report | EWL press release
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined how it was that the European Union had (on the one hand) provided an impetus for some of the member states to take action to increase gender balance in decision-making while (on the other hand) its own institutions had remained largely unchanged.
Source: Heather MacRae, 'Double-speak: the European Union and gender parity', European Societies, Volume 35 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A new book examined women's position in European labour markets. It analyzed trends in employment, pay, occupational segregation, working time, unpaid work, social provisions (especially care provisions), and the impact of the financial crisis; and it assessed the impact of the European Employment Strategy and the specific impact of key policies, such as taxation and flexicurity.
Source: Francesca Bettio, Janneke Plantenga, and Mark Smith (eds.), Gender and the European Labour Market, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the contribution made by the instruments of ranking and benchmarking to improving policy-making, with reference to gender equality policies at European Union level.
Source: Anna van der Vleuten and Mieke Verloo, 'Ranking and benchmarking: the political logic of new regulatory instruments in the fields of gender equality and anti-corruption', Policy & Politics, Volume 40 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Feb
A paper said that differences in culture and social norms were crucial determinants in understanding gender differences in educational test scores in advanced (OECD) countries. Girls performed relatively better in both maths and reading in societies where gender equality was enhanced, and the effect varied over the distribution of scores. There was substantial evidence for the intergenerational transmission of gender role attitudes, especially from mothers to daughters, since the performance of girls – but not that of boys – was better in families where the mother worked outside the home.
Source: Ainara Gonzalez de San Roman and Sara de la Rica Goiricelaya, Gender Gaps in PISA Test Scores: The impact of social norms and the mother s transmission of role attitudes, Discussion Paper 6338, Institute for the Study of Labor (Bonn)
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Feb
An article examined the development of a gender-based employment policy in the European Union.
Source: Cecilia Lavena and Norma Riccucci, 'Exploring gender mainstreaming in the European Union', International Journal of Public Administration, Volume 35 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined homophobia in Europe, focusing on 4 European Union member states: Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. It provided a legal analysis of how homophobia was reproduced 'in law' and how it was confronted 'with law'.
Source: Luca Trappolin, Alessandro Gasparini, and Robert Wintemute (eds.), Confronting Homophobia in Europe: Social and legal perspectives, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined women's representation in national parliaments in a sample of developed (OECD) countries. The proportion of women in parliament was explicable in terms of culture – particularly attitudes towards women as political leaders.
Source: Didier Ruedin, 'The representation of women in national parliaments: a cross-national comparison', European Sociological Review, Volume 28 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
A new book examined European integration through a gender lens. It analyzed new and old barriers to gender equality in all realms of European Union activity.
Source: Gabriele Abels and Joyce Marie Mushaben (eds.), Gendering the European Union: New approaches to old democratic deficits, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan
A paper examined how the duration of work interruption, and the labour market status of mothers on their return to work, affected the division of housework in couples after a birth (based on data for the United Kingdom and Germany). Mothers increased their housework hours with every additional month of employment interruption. Parental leave extensions for mothers were associated with the division of housework only indirectly, through their impact on the length of women's work interruptions.
Source: Pia Schober, Maternal Labor Market Return, Parental Leave Policies, and Gender Inequality in Housework, SOEP Paper on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 422-2011, German Institute for Economic Research
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined whether moving to part-time work made women happy, based on data from the United Kingdom and Germany. Decreases in working hours were found to bring about a 'positive and significant' improvement in well-being for women.
Source: Vanessa Gash, Antje Mertens, and Laura Romeu Gordo, 'The influence of changing hours of work on women's life satisfaction', The Manchester School, Volume 80 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
