With a view to a European agreement on healthcare (the ‘Care Deal’) and an own-initiative report on gender inequality in healthcare, MEPs from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) held an exchange of views with the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, on Monday 19 May.
Everyone agreed that the necessary recognition of care work had to be backed up by financial commitments and a binding legislative framework.
Within the European Union, the care sector – whether formal care that is carried out as part of a professional practice, or informal care such as caring for relatives – relies very heavily on women.
“It is often women who take care of people (...). When this work is paid, whether in the public or private sector, it is often the women who do it, and they often have job insecurity”, said Lina Gálvez, Chair of the FEMM Committee.
“26– 27% of women are not active in the employment market because they look after their children, disabled people or the elderly, compared with only 6% of men”, said Roxana Mînzatu.
And at a time when the European Union is facing an ageing population and labour shortages, MEPs and the European Commission’s Executive Vice-president are calling for a review of the societal model.
“We need to review our societal model” so that “these responsibilities do not fall solely on the shoulders of women”, said Roxana Mînzatu, who called for “reforms, investment, education and legislation”.
“If we reach an agreement without money or legislative value, then nothing will change for women, as has been the case for hundreds of years in Europe”, said Maria Noichl (S&D, German), hammering home the point.
Co-rapporteurs Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (EPP, Spanish), for the FEMM Committee, and Eleonara Meleti (EPP, Greek), for the EMPL Committee, called for the sector to be professionalised, for informal work to be combated, and for the skills of carers to be recognised.
According to Roxana Mînzatu, the response must be financial, legislative and political.
The European Social Fund, the ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’, the ‘European Semester’, as well as the Skills Union (see EUROPE 13593/18) and the ‘Quality Jobs Roadmap’ are all levers for action to support the Member States.
“We have to take account of working conditions (...), as well as the question of prestige” when it comes to the care professions, she added.
“Everything is fine as long as we don’t talk about money”, lamented Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, German), who called for specific financial commitments to be made.
The European Commission wishes to integrate these issues into the revision of the strategy on gender equality for 2026–2030 (see EUROPE 13595/1). “You have to include money. This is not the kind of subject that can be left on the sidelines”, said Roxana Mînzatu. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)