When approved, this directive will help increase the equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men and will increase access to more flexible working arrangements.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“We need strong standards to protect families and family life. The new rules on paid parental leave will help millions of Europeans enjoy more time off with their children, without adding pressure on their budget or experiencing pressure from their employers. This is how you help families, not with the usual conservative sentimental rhetoric.
“Our political family has been long fighting for longer parental leave and for longer paternity leave, to overcome traditional roles. No-one is a less of a professional because they choose to have a family and this is true for both women and men. The gender pay gap is mainly caused by the disproportionate cost that childcare entails for women. I very much welcome that we have got an agreement to support them right before the end of this legislative period.”
PES Women President Zita Gurmai said:
“We have been working closely with our S&D members to ensure a fair work-life balance approach that guarantees that both women and men carry out their private responsibilities equally and have equal opportunities and access to the labour market. Achieving this will also increase women’s economic empowerment and help narrow the gender pay gap”.
