This policy brief aims to provide a summary of the most relevant results as well as policy recommendations that have emerged from the PATHS2INCLUDE research that aimed to obtain a more nuanced understanding of the factors that influence women’s labour market inclusion and career trajectories across Europe. The policy brief considers the parental gender employment gap, the role of social norms and culture in explaining an important part of this gap in the labour market, and the effect of the transition towards more flexible working conditions, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the unequal distribution of family responsibilities between men and women and whether this potentially improved gender equality in the labour market.
With this policy brief, we seek to inform and support the upcoming Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, contributing to the EU’s broader efforts to unlocking the full potential of both women and men in the workforce and to achieve a fair and inclusive labour market for all.
Authors: Sara Ayllón, Cloë Rossenbacker, Elizabeth Gosme