The European Parliament presented recommendations on Thursday aimed at advancing gender equality in both formal and informal care, seeking to rebalance responsibilities between men and women and tackle persistent inequalities in the care sector.
Members of the Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality jointly issued the guidance, which sets out policy directions intended to support a societal shift toward shared caregiving. The recommendations focus on measures to recognise, redistribute and value care work—both paid roles within the formal care economy and unpaid responsibilities typically carried out within households.
Why this matters
Care—ranging from childcare and eldercare to care for people with disabilities—represents a central social and economic issue for the European Union. Women continue to bear a disproportionate share of informal care, a dynamic that affects labour market participation, career progression, and pension entitlements. Formal care sectors are also facing workforce shortages and often feature low pay and precarious working conditions. Shifting the balance of care has implications for economic productivity, social inclusion, gender equality and fiscal sustainability across member states.
Key elements and context
The recommendations were presented by two parliamentary committees: Employment and Social Affairs, which focuses on labour market, social policy and employment issues; and Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, which addresses gender-based discrimination and equality measures. Together, the committees emphasised the need for policy that addresses both sides of the care equation: improving the quality, availability and remuneration of formal care jobs, and redistributing informal care responsibilities more evenly between men and women.
By tackling formal and informal care simultaneously, the recommendations aim to reduce the gendered impact of care duties. This reflects longstanding evidence and EU policy discussions that unpaid care work constrains women’s economic participation and contributes to gender gaps in income and pensions. Strengthening formal care services could help free time for carers to participate in paid work, while encouraging men’s greater engagement in household care tasks would promote equality within families and the labour market.
Implications for member states and citizens
If translated into national policies, the recommendations could influence legislative and budgetary priorities across the EU. Member states typically design and fund their own care systems and social protections, so the committees’ guidance is likely intended to shape national reforms and EU-level initiatives. For citizens, a rebalanced care model could mean improved access to quality care services, reduced care-related career interruptions, and greater economic security, particularly for women who disproportionately assume caregiving roles.
For businesses and the economy, a more equitable distribution of care responsibilities could bolster labour supply by enabling more people—especially women—to participate in the workforce consistently. Formalising and better compensating care work could also address recruitment and retention challenges in health and social care sectors that many EU countries face.
Next steps and outlook
The press release does not specify concrete legislative proposals, timelines, or voting procedures stemming from the committees’ recommendations. Typically, parliamentary recommendations provide a mandate for further legislative work, influence debates at EU and national levels, and may feed into Commission initiatives or national policymaking. Details on how member states, the European Commission or other EU institutions will respond to the recommendations remain to be announced.
The presentation underscores ongoing parliamentary attention to care as a policy priority linked to equality, employment and social policy across the EU. How those recommendations translate into concrete measures—funding, regulation, incentives for employers, and public campaigns to shift social norms—will determine their impact on citizens, labour markets and public finances throughout the bloc.
Source: Full Press Release
