Brussels, 14/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - What does the European Commission intend to do about childcare? In 2002, the Barcelona European Council endorsed the provision of universal and affordable care services for older, disabled and other dependents and the strengthening of EU legislation on reconciling work and private life. What progress has been made? That is the question the European Women's Lobby (EWL) asks in an open letter to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso on the eve of the International Day on Families on 15 May and the informal meeting of ministers responsible for equal opportunities at Bad Pyrmont on 15-16 May (see EUROPE 9425).
To achieve equal opportunities between women and men, better care services for children and dependents are required. The lack of these types of service within the EU is a problem for many households and prevents women from playing their full part in all aspects of economic, social, cultural and political life. One prerequisite for equality between men and women is for women to be economically independent, says the EWL, which has, in 2006-2007, been leading a campaign on care, entitled “Who cares?”, through which it calls on decision-makers to put in place high quality, affordable and accessible care services. Part of the campaign was a petition, which was signed by thousands of women and men of all ages throughout Europe (see: http://www.womenlobby.org ).
In its letter to Mr Barroso, EWL notes that “families in Europe are of different kinds and that the 'breadwinner' model based on nuclear families, on which social protection systems and social policies are often based in Europe, doesn't bring appropriate answers to the daily life of women and men in Europe. Concrete measures to improve the situation in relation to care services and the reconciliation of private and working life are urgently needed,” the EWL says in its letter. It goes on to express the hope that “the European Commission will take the lead in tackling these issues in a way that will contribute to achieving equality between women and men and strengthening the European social model”. (gb)