Several UN entities, civil society organisations, governments, and future generations joined forces at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) to emphasise the importance of gender equality and the rights of women and girls everywhere.  

To share good examples and best practices to address challenges for women of today, the Union of Hungarian Women Association (COFACE member) hosted an official Parallel Event for the CSW68 now as a tradition for the 7th time this year.  The title of the event was: How to create profitable services for gender equality including social protection (e.g. social safety net), access to public services and sustainable infrastructure? 

The aim was to present a range of experiences on the topic of social protection systems including innovation and technological change, highlighting the importance of access to public services and sustainable infrastructure to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women. Also, a review of the cases from EU and non-EU countries took place and best practices were shared. They explored challenges for girls and women in rural areas: lack of rights to own or acquire land, access to control resources, access to finance, poverty, access to education and digital technology. 

Margó Batthyány-Schmit, President of the Union of Hungarian Women Association, shared her experience in social protection programmes, furthermore, she provided some insights into problems women face in agriculture and social status. She also offered NGO partnership in various activities for the future. 

You can watch the full recording of the event here and a summary of the event here. 

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COFACE Families Europe together with its members is very active in addressing the social challenges faced by families of today and advocating for policies to support their well-being.

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). A call was launched to the COFACE network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass: non-discrimination, equal opportunities, empowerment, internet for all, social inclusion, sustainability, respect of human rights, solidarity, child well-being, accessibility. Following the election of the new European Parliament and the publication of the European Commission’s political guidelines, COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which is a list of key short-term demands (also available in Easy-to-Read language) to be achieved by the new European Commission from 2020-2024, which are to be seen as concrete steps to meet the long-term goals of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

These demands reflect the needs and challenges of families of today and call for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.  It is on this basis that we have assessed  the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving eight positive outcomes for families of today (see more here). While this assessment refers to various initiatives to support families, it cannot fully assess the real impact on families at local level yet. It is crucial for the EU institutions to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their policies to understand the impacts (positive and negative) on families, in order to review and consolidate existing frameworks under the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and adopt any new measures needed to strengthen the Pillars.

Read the full assessment here.

See the 10 key actions we want integrated into the EU’s 2024-2029 programme here.

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On 15th May from 17.30-19.30 in the Schuman area of Brussels, COFACE Families Europe invited friends to assess the results of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and highlight some key messages ahead of the European elections.

This was also be the occasion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of Families.

COFACE Families launched its “State Of The European Union for families” assessment of the last 5-year mandate of the von der Leyen Commission and how it contributed to achieving eight specific outcomes for families. We also presented our #ActNow for Families of Today call to action, which comprises 10 specific actions that COFACE believe should be integrated into the EU’s 2024-2029 programme. Also available in Easy-to-read version here.

Last but not least, a COFACE song has been developed with the aim to push our message in a creative and engaging way.

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Background

In 2019, COFACE Families Europe mobilised voters locally through its member organisations (representing families of all types, without discrimination). A call was launched to the COFACE network to vote and speak out in May 2019 using 10 key values as a compass: non-discrimination, equal opportunities, empowerment, internet for all, social inclusion, sustainability, respect of human rights, solidarity, child well-being, accessibility.

Following the 2019 election of the new European Parliament and the publication of the European Commission’s political guidelines, COFACE Families Europe published its New Deal for Families of Today which is a list of key short-term demands (also available in Easy-to-Read language) to be achieved by the new European Commission from 2020-2024. They are to be seen as concrete steps to meet the long-term goals of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

These demands reflect the needs and challenges of families of today and call for a mix of European actions (policy, law, funding, benchmarking, innovation) to drive real change. These recommendations are addressed at EU-level policymakers in the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU, from whom we expect joint leadership to ensure tangible results for Europe’s citizens.

It is on this basis that we have assessed the work of the European Union’s work from 2019 to 2024, and how it contributes to achieving positive outcomes for families of today.

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Following the 2023 World Children’s Day, the European Parliament adopted an important text for children and their families. The Own Initiative report on “Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times of crisis for children and their families”  received 386 votes in favour, 87 against and 141 abstentions. In this time of economic challenges, the report underscores the importance of societal responses to ensure the well-being of vulnerable populations and sheds the light on strategies to reduce inequalities and foster social inclusion for children and their families during times of crisis.

The critical link between families and children wellbeing is once again highlighted in this report, which makes as well important references to the European Child Guarantee. By addressing economic disparities, access to education, and healthcare inequalities, the report charts a comprehensive roadmap towards a more inclusive society. In the realm of family policy, the report advocates for targeted interventions that prioritise the needs of children and families, acknowledging their heightened vulnerability during crises.

One key recommendation involves bolstering social safety nets to shield families from the economic fallout of crises and build their resilience, ensuring that no child is left behind due to financial constraints. Additionally, the report highlights the pivotal role of education as a catalyst for social mobility, emphasising the need for equitable and inclusive access to quality education resources including to inclusive and high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care services.

Moreover, the European Parliament report calls for the empowerment of marginalised communities, recognising that a diverse and inclusive society is more resilient in the face of adversity. It encourages the implementation of policies that actively combat discrimination and promote diversity, fostering an environment where every family feels valued and supported.

As families struggle with the multifaceted challenges of crises, this parliamentary report serves a reminder that social rights and support to families should not be cut out but strengthen during times of crises. By prioritising social inclusion and addressing systemic inequalities, societies can build a foundation where the well-being of children and families is safeguarded, even in the most challenging times.

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What is the European Observatory on Family Policy  

The European Observatory on Family Policy is a joint research programme of COFACE Families Europe and the Centre for Family Studies of ODISEE University of Applied Sciences launched in 2022. The Observatory aims to serve as a platform for the observation, analysis, and dissemination of evidence on family policy and other social concerns directly relevant to family well-being across the European Union. 

 

Partners

The Observatory is implemented as a partnership between COFACE Families Europe and Odisee’s Centre for Family Studies. COFACE Families Europe offers the programme its extensive knowledge on EU policies and the realities of families across Europe, while the Centre for Family Studies provides its expertise on practice-based research from the perspective of families and its research networks in Belgium and internationally. The partnership is conceived to bring together the respective strengths and expertise on family policy and family life to better meet its monitoring and analytical goals. 

 

Values

The starting point for the Observatory is human rights, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, with a stated ambition of promoting policies which support all types of families, without discrimination. The key principles underpinning the Observatory’s activity are public interest, impartiality, and quality of content.  

Objectives

The Observatory sets out to address three broad objectives: to identify emerging trends and priorities in family policy across EU Member states, while monitoring progress on family-related targets; to develop innovative frameworks for interpreting the evidence collected; to broker knowledge at the EU and member states level, providing a bridge between academics, decision makers, advocacy coalitions, and grassroots family organizations. 

 

Activities

Through its activity, the Observatory aims to document and highlight the impact of public policy initiatives on families, intended both as a set of individual members and as a collective entity.  It brings together different perspectives on family resources and needs from a range of public policy, research, and advocacy contexts. It strives to integrate these viewpoints into a unified theoretical framework, and to design suitable recommendations for policymaking at EU, national, and local levels.  

 

 

  

 

Steering Group

Its activities are overseen and coordinated by an executive Steering Group that convenes regularly and outlines the strategic direction for the partnership. The Steering Group further ensures the quality, consistency, and timeliness of the Observatory’s activity. Coordination of the Observatory is based in Brussels. Members of the Steering group are: 

 

Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE and Steering Group chair. 

Annemie is President of COFACE Families Europe and board member of Gezinsbond in Belgium. She has been for many years actively involved in Social and family policy at National and European level giving a voice to the needs and challenges that families are facing, and defending the rights of all families and their members in EU and beyond.

Kathleen Emmery, Coordinator of ODISEE Knowledge Centre for Family Studies.

Kathleen has been coordinator of ODISEE since 2012. In her scientific work on relationship support and family transitions, Kathleen focuses on the needs and demands of families, fathers, mothers, children and professionals, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods.

Elizabeth Gosme, Director of COFACE.

Elizabeth has been Director of COFACE since 2016. She is an EU social policy analyst with extensive experience in EU affairs representing the interests of civil society organisations. She has worked extensively with various EU institutions contributing to building a social policy architecture for Europe.

Sven Iversen, Vice-president of COFACE.

 Sven Iversen is Vice-President of COFACE Families Europe, delegated from  the Association of German Family Organisations (AGF), of which he is  General Manager. He is a political scientist, holds an MBA and has previously held positions in a parliamentary group, an agency for sustainability and particpation, in cultural management and the prevention childhood obesity.

Jos Sterckx, Senior Researcher at ODISEE.

Jos Sterckx worked as a social worker / family counselor and director in a foster care service. Subsequently, he was director of a Flemish umbrella of 150 service providers in the disability field; and director of the Knowledge Center Social Europe from 2008 to 2018. He advises and supports the researchers of ODISEE in project development and European funding.

Tanja Neulant, Director of ODISEE Knowledge Center for Family Studies.

Tanja Nuelant is director of  graduate and bachelor programmes and research in the field of social work, orthopedagogy and family studies at Odisee University College. Tanja is also family policy advisor  of Gezinsbond (the Flemish league of families).

Martino Serapioni is Research Programme Coordinator at COFACE
He coordinates research activities in the framework of the European Observatory on Family Policy. Prior to COFACE, he worked as researcher in comparative early childhood education and care policy at the G.M. Bertin Faculty of Education of the University of Bologna. He is a member of the European Commission Network of Experts on Social Aspects of Education and Training (NESET II). 

Report of the European Observatory on Family Policy: Towards greater family policy integration across Europe

 

Families with young children have complex necessities in the period before the start of compulsory schooling. Often, these needs cannot be reduced to educational, healthcare or caregiving demands alone.

Successful fulfillment of these needs requires a joint effort of different governmental organizations to build ties and form functioning networks of cooperation over a long period of time. This comparative report aims to investigate possible responses to the multisectoral needs of households by providing an overview of the current alignment and coordination between complementary services and policy areas in four European countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, and Poland) and the Belgian region of Flanders.

 

Read the full report here and watch our research webinar presenting the findings below.

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19th September 10.30-12.30 CET

REGISTER HERE

This online working group meeting is being organised in the context of the L.I.N.K. education programme, a joint initiative of COFACE Families Europe and KMOP education hub, which is part of the European Family Lab launched in 2020.

The meeting is aiming to create an informal and collaborative space, serving as an education hub, where members from different countries can learn from one another, exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore ways to improve and promote their education practices.

The working group will bring together committed professionals and staff in the COFACE network who are actively involved or interested in education programmes within their organisations, aiming to support both families and professionals through upskilling and life-long learning. REGISTER HERE

For further information, contact Beybin Elvin Tunç, Education Programme Coordinator btunc@coface-eu.org 

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Background about L.I.N.K.

L.I.N.K. (Learning and Innovating through New Knowledge) focuses on key social challenges of our times. L.I.N.K. educational tools and courses of are based on values of human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, social inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and intergenerational solidarity, and are designed for contributing to addressing important challenges that modern societies face.

The L.I.N.K. programme is a result of the collaboration between COFACE Families Europe and KMOP Education Hub. COFACE offers the programme its extensive knowledge on issues related to families at the European level, while KMOP, based on its long-term experience in actions supporting children and young people, as well as its knowledge in educational planning, provides documented and modern educational methods.

L.I.N.K reflects the joint goal of COFACE and KMOP to create a modern educational center aiming at supporting education and lifelong learning for a range of challenges, in which families, professionals and modern societies in general need support and continuous guidance.

In general, the goal of L.I.N.K. is to develop learning courses and tools. The courses may follow asynchronous, synchronous, and blended e-learning methods, through all the series of educational modules that are developed.  These educational modules provide learners with new skills and solutions to societal challenges affecting families of today, supporting also the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights.

More here.

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On the 24th of May 2023, COFACE Families Europe’s Director, Elizabeth Gosme, took part in the fourth edition of the European Mental Health Week conference to offer crucial knowledge on nurturing mentally healthy communities from a family perspective.

During the conference, the importance of work-life balance emerged as a vital factor for mental well-being. COFACE highlighted the urgent need for measures that promote work-life balance and prevent burnout. Emphasising the significance of minimum legal standards derived from the EU work-life balance directive, COFACE’s Director also highlighted the importance of regulating the digital environment to ensure compatibility with human rights.

Inclusive education was another crucial topic addressed during the event by Elizabeth Gosme, who emphasized the role of structural arrangements within key communities such as family, education, and leisure in nurturing children’s mental health. Boosting inclusive education fosters respect and inclusion. This is why COFACE and its member KMOP have launched a free online course on school bullying management which equips educators with the necessary tools to combat bullying and create safer environments for students.

Access to mental health services emerged as a pressing concern as well. COFACE shed light on the disparities in accessibility across European Union countries and stressed the need for community-based centers that offer comprehensive support, including mental health services, to families seeking assistance.

Promoting gender equality and reducing the burden of the mental load on women were prominent themes discussed. COFACE encourages family teamwork as a means to achieve a fair distribution of caregiving and household responsibilities. By challenging traditional gender stereotypes, the network aims to empower families and create supportive environments where everyone can thrive.

Last but not least, COFACE Director, Elizabeth Gosme, emphasised the significance of empowerment, mediation, communication, active listening, and problem-solving in fostering positive family dynamics.

COFACE Families Europe remains committed to its vision of mentally healthy communities where everyone can thrive. By advocating for work-life balance, inclusive education, accessible mental health services, and gender equality,  it strives to create inclusive societies that value and support the well-being of families in all their diversity.

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Fostering early childhood education can boost women’s employment. According to an assessment conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), providing formal childcare to 40%, 50%, 60% and 65% of children under 3 would lead to remarkable increases in the labour supply of mothers.

To support the new Barcelona targets for 2030 on childcare, the JRC analysed the impact of alternative scenarios of formal childcare policies on the labour participation of mothers for a number of EU countries. The estimated impact is higher for countries with lower current share of formal childcare and/or lower women’s labour participation.

Assessing the impact of alternative scenarios of formal childcare policies on the labour participation of mothers

The Barcelona targets on childcare were first adopted by the European Council in 2002 with the aim of increasing women’s participation in labour markets by enhancing the provision of early childhood education and care (ECEC). As part of the European Care Strategy, in 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the targets, to help further promoting the equal sharing of care responsibilities between women and men and women’s economic empowerment.

Following the EC proposal, the Council recommended that by 2030, at least 96% of children between the age of three and the starting age of compulsory primary education and at least 45% of children below the age of three receive early childhood education and care – with specific targets for Member States that have not reached the 2002 goals.

To support the revision of the targets, the JRC assessed the impact on mothers’ labour participation of alternative scenarios of formal childcare policies for a number of countries. The selected countries (Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Finland) represent currently different participation of women in the labour market (activity rate of women in Italy and Poland were below EU-27 average in 2021, while Finland and Estonia register the highest rate). They also have different childcare systems.

Significant increases in the labour supply of mothers

Results show that providing formal childcare to 40%, 50%, 60% and 65% of children under 3 would lead to significant increases in the labour supply of mothers, especially in countries where the current labour participation of women and the share of formal childcare is low. For example, an increase in early childhood education and care to 50% for children under 3 would lead to increases in female labour supply ranging from 4% (Portugal) to 48% (Hungary), depending on how close the country is to the 50% target and the female employment at the starting point. Final employment effects, however, would be less pronounced when taking into account the demand side of the labour market: for the same scenario, the general increase in labour market participation is expected to range from 2% (Portugal) to 32% (Hungary).

Policies consisting in reducing childcare fees are also analysed, showing that they would be most effective to support mothers’ labour market participation in countries where childcare fees are relatively high. To monitor variables relevant to reach the Barcelona targets such as accessibility, affordability and quality, the Council recommendation requested to include them in the Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal. Managed by the JRC this online tool facilitates policy makers, researchers and stakeholders readily available data on the progress of the key objectives of the Gender Equality Strategy.

Microsimulation-based models can help best design childcare related policies

The JRC analysis has made use of the EUROMOD model and further developed the EUROLAB model, to simulate female labour supply reactions to formal childcare reforms. The work sheds light on the usefulness of microsimulation-based models to provide empirical insights on responses of individuals to childcare related policies in the EU, thus contributing to the discussion of how to best design these policies to attain their goals.

Read more here.

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