Gender mainstreaming active inclusion policies

Abstract

In order to help Member States mobilise those who can work and provide adequate support to those who cannot, the European Commission in 2007 proposed a holistic strategy that can be termed active inclusion (1 ). It combines three pillars, (1) adequate income support (2) inclusive labour markets and (3) access to quality services. Active inclusion shapes an active welfare state by providing personalised pathways towards employment and ensuring that those who cannot work can live in dignity and contribute as much as possible to society. Active inclusion has a number of implications from a gender perspective: the gender disparities in exposure to poverty show higher rates for women than men and do so in a life-cycle perspective. This is partly due to women’s greater likelihood for slower, shorter and/or interrupted careers and on average lower earnings than men. Furthermore, the disadvantages faced by women of certain groups tend to be more accumulated than those for men from the same groups. Finally, access to quality services (including childcare, long-term care and health services) is particularly important for the social and labour market participation of women who still have in many Member States the main responsibility for caring for the most vulnerable members of the household (children, elderly, sick and disabled).