Ethnic segregation is a widespread and systematic practice in many European countries. These practices are illegal yet continue to shape the lives of children and families across Europe. Our rights to education, housing, and health, ostensibly enjoyed by us all, remain divided along ethnic lines. For many Roma, their enjoyment of these rights is severely limited, often with the tacit support of the state.  

Antigypsyism remains a shamefully powerful and prevalent phenomenon. It is a disease whose symptoms permeate every level of society. Its myriad of manifestations include police brutality, terror attacks to the denial of access to clean water and electricity. 

Various action plans, strategies and campaigns have failed to address this reality. After decades of perhaps well-intentioned, but nonetheless hollow attempts from governmental institutions to meet their obligations, progress has simply not come fast enough. 

One of the clearest manifestations of antigypsyism lies in the blatant segregation of Roma children in education. Roma children are consistently denied one of their most basic rights, with huge consequences for them and their families.  

The segregation of children in schools based on ethnic origin is illegal. This has been declared in several rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. Yet, it remains widely practised. At national level, governments and local authorities have failed in their obligations to adhere to these rulings in any concrete sense.  

Educational segregation not only includes schools where most or all of the children are of the same ethnic background, but also segregated classes within schools. In some cases, Roma children are segregated within classrooms, reserved to the back of the class. Roma children are also frequently placed in classes for children with learning disabilities. For Roma children with disabilities, this can constitute double discrimination as these classes are actually set up to avoid prohibitions on segregation and fail to address the needs and realities of Roma children with disabilities.  

Roma children in segregated schooling receive an inferior education, precluding them from their right to study and to fulfil their potential. In one particular school, Roma children who were lucky enough to get vocational courses were used as free labour by a local manufacturing company. Roma girls in the same school were offered a nationwide programme that taught them to become “good housewives”. Deeply prejudiced stereotypes are frequently transformed into excuses for Roma children receiving an inferior education. 

Not only do studies show that segregated education leads to worse outcomes but the ECtHR’s jurisprudence asserts that it is contrary to human rights. 

Authorities use various justifications for these practices but segregation can never be justified. A common excuse from local authorities and schools is fear of ‘white flight’. This describes the fear that parents from the non-Roma white majority will remove their children from the schools, rather than be educated alongside Roma children. This cannot be an excuse. The prejudice and fear of one group cannot justify the oppression of another. It is unacceptable that antigypsyist attitudes are met with responses that further entrench the effects of antigypsyism.  

The issue of segregation in education is both a symptom and catalyst of antigypsyism which exacerbates other areas of discrimination and exclusion. Educational segregation synergises with residential segregation, and the societal exclusion of Roma often begins long before school. Repeated and targeted evictions by authorities are not only extremely harmful in themselves, but can also lead to difficulties with school enrolment. In many places, Roma are segregated to colonies. When it comes to school enrolment, Roma are often rejected due to their association with these areas.  

A similar pattern can be found in early years education and care. According to the REYN Early Childhood Research Study, almost 6 out of every 10 Roma child under 3 does not have access to Early Childhood Education and Care nearby. This loses a crucial opportunity for socialisation and early education, which not only impacts their learning but can pave the way for a life of exclusion. 

Both the EU and the Council of Europe have released their plans for Roma inclusion in recent years. The new EU Framework for Roma Integration 2020-2030, replacing the 2011-2020 strategy, claims that its predecessor made marked improvements in education. Despite this, cases of segregated schooling actually increased, as did the share of Roma youth without employment, education or training. 

The framework for 2020-2030, now in its 4th year, set a target of reducing the number of Roma children in segregated schools by half. Considering that the top European human rights court has declared the practice to be illegal, this seems unambitious.  

Of course, antigypsyism is so ingrained within European societies that it would be naïve to portray its elimination as easy. 

The accession of many EU member states with large Roma populations led to a wave of focus on issues faced by Roma. Unfortunately, this focus has been marred by poor implementation and a lack of Roma participation. As the EU prepares for a new wave of accession states, also with significant Roma populations, it is essential that past mistakes are not repeated.  

The fact is, whilst previous efforts such as the Decade of Roma Inclusion can be credited with their agenda–setting effect, most Roma were not even aware of such a decade.  

Eradicating segregation within Europe needs radical change. It requires looking deeply within European society, its historical construction, its prejudice, and its continual hostility towards its largest ethnic minority. Roma are at the forefront of their own liberation, and it is time for European institutions to recognise that efforts to combat exclusion cannot exclude the very people they seek to include.  

Eliminating segregation, whether educational or residential, requires focused and targeted measures. This necessitates funding, implementation and urgency. Above all, it requires uprooting and destroying antigypsyism wherever it lies. It demands deep structural changes that so far have been absent.   

About the author: Patrick Gergő Jefferson is a former Policy and Communications Assistant at COFACE Families Europe. As a visiting researcher at the University of Coimbra, he researched discrimination against Ukrainian-Roma asylum seekers after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He presented this research in a conference by Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. He mostly works within the fields of climate justice and migration, and completed a thesis entitled: Nature, Capital and Climate Justice: Interconnected Crises, Rights-Based Approaches and the imperative for radical change. 

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

Photo: BIRN-Miroslava-German-Sirotnikova

The post OPINION – Ethnic segregation of Roma children in Europe’s schools demands real action  appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

On 6-9th June 2024, Europeans voted to renew the European Parliament and new Members of European Parliament (MEP) will convene for the first time in Plenary mid-July in Strasbourg, France.  

While the European People’s Party (EPP), European Conservatives (ECR) and Identify and Democracy Group (ID) have seen an increase in seats, the Greens and Renew Europe have had significant losses. The Socialists have maintained around the same number of seats. The biggest increase has been for the non-aligned MEPs which are a heterogenous group, yet with most of them coming from the far right. It remains to be seen if they will remain non-aligned MEPs or if they will join a political group.  There has been a clear surge of the far right, and at the time of writing, the ECR has replaced Renew Europe as the third biggest political group in the European Parliament.  

While the pro-European parliamentary majority (EPP, S&D, Renew) has been weakened, it retains its majority (around 400) and therefore can continue to function as a strong coalition. Working with the far right cannot be an option. As a European civil society organisation advocating for pluralism, non-discrimination, and human rights, COFACE Families Europe will continue to engage with the European Parliament to defend and protect the interests of the wide diversity of families. We will do this building on our State of the European Union for families (5-year assessment of the 2019-2024 mandate) and our Key Demands for families of today.  The European Parliament will now proceed to form their political groups. The European Council is preparing to elect a new European Commission President. 

More here about the election results, also per country. See also further information on the Good Lobby elections hub. 

The post European elections in the spotlight – time to ACT NOW for families of today  appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

EU policy-makers must ensure that all families are given support and guidance to access and navigate the digital environment in a meaningful way. This includes strong legal frameworks as well as strong and “low-threshold” evidence-based support and prevention measures for families. COFACE has produced a policy brief highlighting the importance of digital technologies for children and their families, and analysing whether existing and currently debated EU frameworks aimed at ensuring safe and empowering digital experiences for children integrate a families perspective.

Most children in Europe today live in media-rich households where digital technologies are part of their everyday lives. Nevertheless, the ways children and their families engage with digital technologies are complex and have varying effects. On the one hand, digital technologies offer unique opportunities for all family members. Digital technologies support children in their education and leisure activities, for example, but also make it easier for family members to stay in touch with each other or to play together. On the other hand, children – and adults – face online risks and challenges. Some of these risks include, but are not limited to, cyberbullying, mis- and disinformation, harmful and illegal content, and online child sexual abuse. These risks have a major impact on a child’s safety, and the mental and physical well-being of both children and their families. Some families may face additional challenges in the digital environment due to specific vulnerabilities linked to poverty, disability or discrimination.

The negative effects of technology need to be addressed through a mix of strong legal frameworks as well as strong and “low-threshold” evidence-based support and prevention measures for families. This means on the one hand to create inclusive and accessible online environments, including through appropriate self-regulation by the industries concerned. On the other hand, it means supporting educators (formal and non-formal), parents and carers in their digital literacy, but also promoting work-life balance, so that parents and carers have time to support their children.

This COFACE policy brief highlights the importance of digital technologies for children and their families, presents some activities that are in place or in current debate at EU level and draws some findings for further measures to support families in the digital era. To do this, the first section analyses some of the EU frameworks which include measures to ensure safe and empowering digital experiences for children, and whether they integrate a families perspective. The second section of the policy brief spotlights some practices of COFACE member organisations from 9 different European countries. The practices are diverse, ranging from boosting digital parenting skills to tackling and preventing specific risks, such as child sexual abuse online. Finally, the concluding section brings key messages and recommendations for EU policy makers.

Implementation of the European legal and policy frameworks mentioned in this brief is key, and these should be strengthened and continued under the new 2024-2029 European Union mandate following the June 2024 European elections.  Besides the State level and the ICT industry, action is also needed at community level, involving all key stakeholders close to the lives of the families and children. Such community-level actions, for example, can be strengthened by channelling funding to key stakeholders (e.g. local authorities, non-profits, schools), through a mix of operating and project grants. Family organisations, like the ones united in COFACE and its members are among those stakeholders.

COFACE will continue to monitor closely the various EU initiatives impacting families, using the COFACE Digitalisation Principles as the key compass for assessing them.

Read the full brief here.

The post POLICY BRIEF. Supporting Families in the Digital Era: How to ensure safe and enriching online experiences for children and their Families? appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

On 2-3rd May 2024 in Brussels, the Belgian presidency of the EU organise a conference entitled European Child Guarantee – from engagement to reality.

The event had a dual objective: firstly, to give key players the opportunity to analyse the work already completed and what remains to be done to achieve the objectives set, and secondly, to provide Child Guarantee coordinators with a platform to share their knowledge in the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. The first day was dedicated to a review of the situation, while the second day was be focused on discussions between the coordinators of the European Child Guarantee, the European Commission, and key players on the ground. 

COFACE is member of the European Alliance for Investing in Children, and also current co-chair of the European expert group on the transition from institutional to community-based care (EEG-DI). Both alliances adopted joint statements on the Child Guarantee for this Presidency event. The joint statement of the EEG focused on early childhood intervention and family supports, calling for stronger monitoring and evaluation of Child Guarantee measures in this area. 

The event was informative, with most national Child Guarantee coordinators present and providing informative country presentations. One recommendation coming out of the ECEC session of the conference was to have more in-depth country profiles and analyses of ECEC service development to assess real impacts on children. 

The European Commission was present, listening, evaluating and will continue to monitor closely the biennial implementation reports to assess the measures taken over the last two years, which should feed into the 2026 Commission mid-term report on the state of Child Guarantee implementation.

It was interesting to note that more and more countries are adopting a holistic approach to Child Guarantee implementation, ensuring that services for children are also developed with their family environment in mind. One country referred to its work on developing further their family centres as key spaces for Child Guarantee implementation, an idea which holds much potential as long as these centres are fully inclusive of all types of families without discrimination (e.g. families with disabilities, from different ethnicities, same-sex families). Family centres were also seen as a key space to boost parental support, including and especially during parental leave and early years, but also beyond in order to boost resilience of families when faced with a care challenge during adolescence and young adulthood. 

COFACE continues to closely monitor the Child Guarantee measures, as well as organising meetings both formal and informal with family policy makers in ministries across 15-20 countries, with the next meeting planned in Vilnius (Lithuania). 

The post European Child Guarantee centre stage in the Belgian presidency of the EU appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

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.

The post State Of The European Union for Families: COFACE assessment of the European Union’s work from 2019-2024 appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Joint statement of the EEG-DI. Brussels, 2 May 2024

Call for stronger prevention of child institutionalisation:

Time to step up monitoring and evaluation of early childhood intervention and family support in the European Child Guarantee

The European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care (EEG) welcomes the initiative of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union to host the knowledge-sharing Conference “European Child Guarantee: from engagement to reality” on 2 and 3 May 2024. The EEG welcomes that many National Action Plans (NAPs) include measures in the area of deinstitutionalisation (DI) for children but calls for increased emphasis on prevention and early intervention, including Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) and support to parents and carers, to be monitored at national and EU level and addressed in the updated versions of NAPs.

_____________

Enacted in June 2021, the European Child Guarantee represents a crucial step towards combating social exclusion by facilitating access to essential services and has catalysed momentum for the deinstitutionalisation of children. It identified children with disabilities and children living in alternative care among its target groups and invited Member States to enhance social protection, prevent children from being placed in institutional care, and ensure their transition to quality community-based and family-based care. Importantly, it also encouraged them to facilitate the early identification of developmental issues and health needs, and to provide habilitation and rehabilitation services for children with disabilities.

Overall, the Child Guarantee tackles many drivers of child institutionalisation, including poverty and lack of access to services, especially for children with disabilities. This is in line with the commitment of the EU to ensure the transition from institutional to family and community based care in its most important policies^[1] and funding regulations.^[2] These also include the 2024 Commission Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child,^[3] encouraging investment in non-residential services, including accessible housing for children with disabilities, and calling for the promotion of national deinstitutionalisation strategies for deinstitutionalisation, ensuring adequate support for foster families and comprehensive support programmes for young people with care experience.

Importantly, as a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the European Union is required to ensure full enjoyment of all rights by children with disabilities “on an equal basis with other children.” This includes deinstitutionalisation, including the requirement not to invest any public or private funding into institutions for children.

This role of the Child Guarantee in implementing deinstitutionalisation has also been reiterated in The European Parliament’s Resolution Children first – strengthening the Child Guarantee, two years on from its adoption (2023/2811(RPS)) stressing the need for ‘’Time-bound targets for bringing children out of institutions and into family and community settings’’. Further, it adheres to the European Parliament’s Report ‘’Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times of crisis for children and their families’ (2023/2066(INI)), highlighting that “child protection measures, including deinstitutionalisation, are also essential for children to achieve their rights and reach their full potential’’, and recommending that ‘’Member States develop proactive social policies to tackle the root causes of child institutionalisation, ensuring that it is not because of poverty and exclusion that children are institutionalised’’.

Nevertheless, almost three years after its adoption, across Europe hundreds of thousands of children still live in institutions, isolated from their families, their peers and local communities. An institution is any residential care facility where residents are isolated from the broader community, do not have enough control over their lives or decisions affecting them, and which is characterised by features such as depersonalisation, lack of individualised support, or limited contact with birth families or caregivers. “Family-like” institutions, including large or small group homes, also fall within the definition of an institution and should not be considered as a substitute for a child’s right to grow up with a family.^[4]

Growing up in an institution can severely damage children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development as well as autonomy. Children do not learn basic life skills or how to manage their own lives while they are kept in institutions, and are thus unprepared for life in the outside world.^[5] Child institutionalisation has devastating consequences not only on the affected children and their families, but on society as a whole, by exacerbating stigma and social isolation, and feeding the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage.

Deinstitutionalisation requires a structural transformation of the social-care and child-protection systems. This includes preventative measures addressing children and families, to avoid children being placed in institutions in the first place, through access to mainstream services, healthcare, education, and welfare systems, as well as parents’ financial support, and programmes to foster kinship and foster care.^[6] It further requires that children, including children with disabilities, are involved in decisions made about them and that their opinions are given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity.^[7]

The EEG welcomes that several countries included measures to support children in alternative care and/or advance reforms linked to deinstitutionalisation in their National Action Plans (NAPs).^[8] However, we noticed that in some cases, these measures are limited and not part of a comprehensive framework, are not accompanied by the right type of support for local authorities to put them in place, and their implementation can be rather slow.^[9]

Prevention and early intervention should lead the development of alternative care programmes for all children, which should always be implemented with the best interest of the child as their guiding principle. For children with disabilities, overrepresented in institutions, family-centred Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services are key in preventing institutionalisation as they empower children and families, and foster inclusion in education. ECI services provide individualised and intensive support to families with infants and young children with or at risk of experiencing developmental delays, or disabilities and support primary caregivers to improve their interactions with the child and build their capacities.^[10]

The EEG regrets that actions towards the strengthening of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) systems and support to family and carers are present only in a minority of countries, and mainly focusing on the early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, rather than in the provision of support to families and children.^[11] It is clear that policies tackling the barriers for children with disabilities can only be efficient if accompanied by social protection and financial support to their families and carers, however, such measures are rarely found in the NAPs.^[12]

Gathering evidence and monitoring progress are crucial components of child rights policies. We thus embrace the adoption of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Framework in December 2023, that will guide the biennial reporting by Member States. It is a great achievement that one of the six main indicators focuses on the number of children in alternative care, broken down by care type; and share of children in residential care. This is a key milestone to monitor the progress on deinstitutionalisation and to provide comparative data for the EU, which should be complemented by national indicators and data collection efforts to improve the understanding of the demographics and needs of children in alternative care.

The EEG calls on Member States to:

1. Place measures towards deinstitutionalisation at the heart of their NAPs  starting from prevention,  through the development of community-based and family-based services, including systems of family-centred Early Childhood Intervention, financial support to families, and of foster care programmes.
2. Put the necessary measures in place to ensure that social welfare, social protection, and social services prioritise the strengthening of families and communities, taking proactive measures to prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families.
3. Advocate for the social and human rights model of disability, focusing on dismantling barriers faced by children or caregivers with disabilities when accessing services, and ensuring that children with disabilities receive adequate support within their family environments and to ensure they can access their right to inclusive education.
4. Support safe family reunification and transition to independent living based on individual needs and circumstances. Provide ongoing support for families and care leavers to facilitate their full inclusion into the community, as well as for young people with personal experience of care. This includes access to personal assistance for children and young people with disabilities in need of such support.
5. Ensure meaningful participation of children, caregivers, parents, persons with disabilities, and civil society organisations, including organisations of persons with disabilities, in the implementation, revision and monitoring of the NAPs.
6. Address and combat stigma and discrimination within the system, including challenging ableism, gender norms and discriminatory social attitudes towards marginalised communities that could lead to child institutionalisation.
7. Implement a systematic approach to disaggregating data across all sectors, including housing, parental or child disabilities, living arrangements, and social protection programmes. This approach should enable regular assessments of progress in transitioning to community-based support services.
8. Align national monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including the indicators, with the EU Monitoring and Evaluation framework on children in alternative care. Improve data collection of children and families at risk, on the one hand, and of the available services, on the other hand.

The EU holds significant sway over national policy development, which can be achieved by:

1. Fostering exchange between Member States on effective measures in the area of deinstitutionalisation for children and developing a study on EU-level effective deinstitutionalisation and ECI policies and practices.
2. Formulating EU Guidelines on DI for children including prevention, and guidance on how to establish and improve national Early Childhood Intervention services and systems.
3. Increasing the use of EU financial tools for DI for children and measures to tackle the drivers of child institutionalisation, through prevention and early intervention programmes with the child’s best interest at heart, including ECI system development and better coordination with general measures targeting families such as access to income, quality ECEC services and work-life balance, and piloting personal assistance for children and young people with disabilities.
4. Ensuring effective implementation of the UN CRPD at EU level, including through improved intersectional and intersectoral coordination at the European, regional, national and local levels, and with full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations.
5. Implementing the measures linked to deinstitutionalisation included in the  2024 Commission Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child.

We hope that this Presidency event will be used as an opportunity for Member States to plan coordinated efforts towards the inclusion of all children and ensure that children receive care in a family and community-based environment.

For further information: https://deinstitutionalisation.com/

______________________

^[1] The recent guarantees towards child protection enshrined in EU policy frameworks and initiatives include the Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021), The Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2021-2030), the European Child Guarantee (2021) and the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2020-2024).

^[2] These EU Funding instruments include the Common Provisions Regulation (2021), the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund (ERDF/CF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) Regulation (2021) The Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (2021-2017) and the third Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (2021-2027).

^[3] Commission Recommendation of 23.4.2024 on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child

^[4] General comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community, CRPD/C/GC/5, paragraph 16(c)

^[5] Opening Doors for Europe’s Children, (2017). Deinstitutionalisation of Europe’s Children, Question and answers https://www.eurochild.org/uploads/2021/02/Opening-Doors-QA.pdf

^[6] European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care (2022), EU Guidance on Independent living and inclusion in the community https://deinstitutionalisation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/eu-guidance-on-independent-living-and-inclusion-in-the-community-2-1.pdf

^[7] UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 7 (Children with disabilities)

^[8] These measures were included  for 16 NAPs – BE, BG, HR, CY, CZ, FI, FR, EL, IT, LX, MT, PL, PT, RO, ES, and SE in March 2023. Children in alternative care in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans. A summative analysis, (2023) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Eurochild https://eurochild.org/uploads/2023/05/Children-in-alternative-care-in-the-Child-Guarantee-NAPs_DataCare-analysis.pdf

^[9] Children in alternative care in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans. A summative analysis, (2023) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Eurochild https://eurochild.org/uploads/2023/05/Children-in-alternative-care-in-the-Child-Guarantee-NAPs_DataCare-analysis.pdf

^[10] EASPD (2022). Family-centred Early Childhood Intervention:The best start in life. Position paper. https://easpd.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Family-Centred_ECI_PP_EASPD_The_best_start_in_life.pdf

^[11] EASPD (2023). What place for young children with disabilities in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans? https://easpd.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/EU_Child_Guarantee_National_Action_Plans.pdf

^[12] COFACE. (June 2023). Child Guarantee Assessment. https://coface-eu.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/06/COFACE_CGAssessment_June2023.pdf

The post EEG Joint Statement: Time to step up monitoring and evaluation of early childhood intervention and family support in the European Child Guarantee appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

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.

_____________________

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.

The post State Of The European Union for families appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

As an industry, we are all about doing our utmost to ensure that our players have fun and enjoy the games and all the many benefits that playing video games bring. That means that our companies dedicate serious resources to ongoing development of appropriate parental management tools and other measures to promote responsible gameplay and safe, supported player environments, both off and online. But it is also crucial that families are aware of what is available to them and actively share the information with their friends and family members.

53% of Europe’s population between the ages of 6 and 64 plays video games! And, whilst the average age of a player is 32, many players are children. Europe’s video game companies are dedicated to creating games for everyone to enjoy and, also, importantly, to provide safe, responsible environments for those games to be enjoyed in.

Our Seize the Controls campaign runs every year to remind parents of the tools they can choose to set up the best video game play experience for their family and provides five tips to help manage video gameplay: what children are playing, who they are playing with, how long they are playing for, and how much they can spend, for example.

Here are our five tips for parents:

1. Check the game’s PEGI rating

PEGI, or Pan European Game Information, provides age labelling and content descriptors that alert parents to in-game purchases, bad language, violence, frightening content, drugs, sex or discrimination, for example. PEGI helps you make informed decisions when purchasing video games, whether these are played on console, computer, tablet or mobile phone. At home or on the move, this information is accessible through the PEGI app or the PEGI website. The app is available in nine languages: English, French, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Swedish.

All major video games and platforms have PEGI ratings as an integral part of their family settings.

2. Use family settings and smartphone apps. Set-up limits that work for you and your child

Family settings are available on all video game consoles, tablets, smartphones, and handheld devices, as well as PC and Mac operating systems, to assist parents in managing online interaction, playtime, spending, and access to age-appropriate video games. These are designed to be as simple to use as possible. Publisher’s own platforms increasingly offer tools and additional verification mechanisms.

We recommend that you use these tools not only to manage the gameplay but also as a starting point for conversations with your child in order to establish the rules that work best for you and your family.

In fact, these tools should be used to proactively ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming experience. They serve multiple purpose, including managing playtime based on age ratings and descriptors, enabling you to select the types of games suitable for your children within the PEGI age rating framework. These tools can also allow you to regulate the amount of time your children spend playing games. More on weekend, less on weekdays? You get to find the balance.

Some games allow players to interact with one another within the game. The family settings allow you to limit or even prevent your child from communicating with other players. You can set the communications to friends only, friends of friends, anyone, or no one.

Furthermore, for games that offer the opportunity to make purchases this will be indicated on the game by a PEGI in-game purchase descriptor so you will be made aware of this. The family settings can then be used to limit or block spending, as appropriate.

3. Play together! Talk to your children about their games and discuss online safety and ground rules.

Video gameplay is not only fun and entertaining, but it is also a learning experience. So why not join your kids when they are playing and talk with them about the game and who they’re playing with? Take the opportunity to explain why certain games may not be suitable for them. It is the best way to engage with them. We encourage you to play together and discuss online safety and ground rules.

4. Enjoy the benefits of playing games!

There are substantial benefits to video games such as improving motor skills, problem solving skills, team building skills, memory, attention and concentration, multi-tasking, and social skills.
Research shows that families that play together and/or take the time to discuss video game play have the healthiest relationship with video game playing, get the most out of it, and have the fewest arguments about play time. Research also shows that girls who play video games are three times more likely to enrol in STEAM programmes than girls who don’t play.

Check out resources available in your local language

Whether your children are playing for fun, to learn, to connect or to get fit, we want you to have the support and confidence you need to manage their screen time, spending and access to age-appropriate content. So before or while they play,  we urge all parents to take a moment to check out resources available to them in their national countries and in their local language, here: https://www.seizethecontrols.eu/local/.

About the author:

Nicholas Elles heads up Communications and Public Affairs at Video Games Europe, which brings together 19 European and international companies and 13 national trade associations across Europe. As a parent of young children, responsible gameplay is  a key priority  for Nicholas. Responsible gameplay is also one of the key focuses of Video Games Europe and its members. The industry ensures the protection of minors through several tools including PEGI, parental controls tools and regular awareness campaigns at national levels. Nicholas has been working in Brussels for close to 20 years and holds a MA in Politics and Economics from Sussex University.

**DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author, not of COFACE Families Europe**

The post OPINION – Making video games fun for families: the crucial role of family settings awareness appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Equality and non-discrimination are core EU values and fundamental rights, enshrined in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, research by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) shows that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people persists across the EU. In recent years, social acceptance of LGBTIQ people has declined in some Member States. Gaps remain in the EU’s legislative framework for combating discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. The Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbated existing inequalities. 

On the 12 of November 2020, the European Commission issued a Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions called ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025’. This was the European Commission’s first LGBTIQ Strategy. Outlining key objectives and steps against discrimination and for LGBTIQ+ equality, safety and inclusiveness, in the European Union and around the world, the LGBTIQ Strategy was considered a historical milestone. When adopted, the Strategy was received with great hope by LGBTIQ+ civil society organisations, human rights defenders and people. 

In 2023, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) decided to prepare a report of implementation on the LGBTIQ Strategy. Making use of its conclusions and recommendations, this implementation report shall have two effects: work as a scrutiny tool, making sure the LGBTIQ Strategy lives up to its commitments; and strengthen the calls for a new Strategy for the coming years. 

In parallel, Equinet’s report on “Equality Bodies protecting the rights of rainbow families on the move” focuses on the legal framework ensuring the protection of rights and freedoms of same-sex couples and their children on the move within the EU. The report identifies obstacles faced by rainbow families when exercising their EU free movement rights and highlights disparities in legal protections among EU Member States. 

EU standards concerning mutual recognition of partnerships and parenthood are presented first, by making reference to relevant provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the relevant Directives and cases decided by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), as well as the most recent policy developments, such as the LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 which includes the ambitious proposal of a Regulation on Mutual Parenthood Recognition. 

Standards developed by CoE Member States are also presented, including the Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity and relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). 

Despite progressive legal frameworks at the supra-national level, levels of protection for rainbow families vary significantly between European states. Some countries provide adequate legal safeguards, while others lag behind, reflecting an ongoing struggle for equality and recognition. 

Overall, these reports from the European Parliament and Equinet shed light on the ongoing fight for equality and recognition for rainbow families within the EU, highlighting the need for continued advocacy and legal reform to ensure the protection of their rights and freedoms. 

Read the report on the implementation of the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy here. 

Read the Equinet report on rainbox families here. 

The post Championing Rights of Rainbow Families: Insights from the European Parliament and Equinet Reports appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.

Media Release

Brussels, 8 March 2024

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024, COFACE Families Europe is calling on EU policymakers and employers to take concrete and effective measures to close the gender employment gap in the EU. Women’s participation in employment is significantly affected by motherhood, with negative consequences for their health, for families and the economy. Traditional gender norms play a huge role in maintaining these inequalities. The Horizon Europe project PATHS2INCLUDE, with COFACE as an integral partner, is investigating the extent to which gender norms account for the gender and motherhood employment gap across Europe.

The gender employment gap is defined as the difference between the employment rates of men and women aged 20-64. In 2019, the EU set a goal to halve the gender employment gap by 2030. However, according to Eurostat, in 2022, only one in five EU regions had already met the target set at 5.8 percentage points (pp) and only two EU regions registered a higher employment rate among women (The Capital Region of Lithuania and South Finland). The EU’s gender employment gap was 10.7 pp, only 0.2 pp lower than in 2021.[1]

Different reasons are behind the persisting gender disparities in employment, such as the lack of accessible early childhood education and care services, imbalanced care responsibilities, discrimination in hiring, occupational segregation, and scarcity of women in leadership. Parenthood is clearly one of the causes of the gender employment gap. In 2021, 77% of women aged 25-54 without children were employed in the EU while women in the same age group with children had a lower employment rate (72%). What is particularly striking is that children had the opposite impact on the employment rate of men in the same age group: men with children had a higher employment rate (90%) than men without children (81%). If we compare men and women, the gender employment gap reached 4 pp among people without children and went up to 18 pp among those with children.[2] These numbers send a clear message: women’s participation in employment is significantly affected by motherhood.

Sociologists developed the term “motherhood penalty” to refer to the disadvantages encountered by mothers in the labour market, perceived as less competent, less committed to paid work, less suitable for hire and promotion and deserving lower starting salaries compared to women with equal qualifications who are not mothers. Thus, mothers may experience disadvantages in terms of hiring, pay, and daily job experience.

In the EU, data from 2022 shows that 28% of women in employment were working part-time in comparison to only 8% of men. Women represent the highest share of part-time workers in all occupational categories with the highest numbers (48%) in the cleaning and food sector.[3] Often, part-time work is not a choice but a response to family responsibilities which are unequally shared within couples. A recent study by Princeton University and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on the effects of motherhood on women’s employment across 134 countries, shows that the responsibility of caring for young children, which is essentially a full-time job, disproportionately falls on women.[4] According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, men spend just a third of the time women spend on unpaid work.[5] The study by Princeton and LSE shows that in rich countries, 80% of the disparity in labour force participation between women and men can be explained by women exiting the workforce after the birth of their first child. Consequently, mothers who remain in employment, face the risks of experiencing mental health issues and overwork twice as much as men.

As we have seen, barriers to join and remain in the labour market are often amplified by the intersection of gender and motherhood, but not only. Additional factors, such as for example racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation, can exacerbate the situation of mothers and lead to significant detrimental economic and social consequences for mothers.

Annemie Drieskens, President of COFACE Families Europe said: “Many women either leave or reduce their participation in the labour market to care for their family. This “gender care gap” perpetuates a vicious cycle and explains why so few women occupy top positions, why there is a pay and a pension pay gap and why women are more at risk of poverty. The situation is even worse for mothers with disabilities or caring for children with disabilities, they face higher discrimination in hiring and are more at risk of social exclusion. It is high time to better share the care and realise that family is teamwork!”

Traditional gender norms play a huge role in maintaining these inequalities. The Horizon Europe project PATHS2INCLUDE is investigating the extent to which gender norms account for the gender and motherhood employment gap across Europe. Researchers are measuring gender norms through questions on gender role beliefs from individual surveys from the European Social Survey and the World Values Survey. The analysis aims to assess the impact of traditional and non-traditional gender norms on the decision to work, on the type of jobs most typically held by women, and how much caring responsibilities and aspirations (or lack thereof) are a burden in the establishment of women in the labour market.

Subscribe to the project’s newsletter to stay up-to-date with the latest research updates.: https://bit.ly/45sU2xb

//ENDS

[1] Eurostat. (2023, 28 November). Gender employment gap still persists in 2022. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20231128-1

[2] Eurostat. (2023, 2 March). Gender employment gap larger for parents in 2021. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/edn-20230302-2

[3] Eurostat. (2023, 3 March). Share of women working part-time higher than men. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/EDN-20230303-1

[4] The Economist. (2024, 30 January). How motherhood hurts careers. https://www.economist.com/interactive/graphic-detail/2024/01/30/how-motherhood-hurts-careers

[5] World Economic Forum. (2022, July). Global Gender Gap Report 2022. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2022.pdf

Note to the editor

• COFACE Policy Brief – Early childhood education and care: A tool for child education, reconciliation of work and family life, and a caring and inclusive economy. (2023)
• European Commission Joint Research Center, Increasing early childhood education and care participation can promote women’s employment (2023)
• Fahlén, S. (2016). Equality at home – A question of career? Housework, norms, and policies in a European comparative perspective. Demographic research, 35, 1411–1440. https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2016.35.48
• Family is TeamWork! Joint international campaign of COFACE and UNFPA-EECA #FamilyTeamWork – Join the movement and get the conversation started in your family about the equal sharing of caring and household tasks | COFACE Families Europe (coface-eu.org)

For more information, please contact Bettina Guigui, Senior Communication Officer bguigui@coface-eu.org.

The post Motherhood employment gap: shedding light on the vicious cycle appeared first on COFACE Families Europe.