Reconciliation Policies from a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

The problem of reconciling family responsibilities and employment is not peculiar to the late twentieth century. It dates back to the process of industrialization when the separation between the place of work and the home was established. However, the ensuing difficulties only became an issue for policy-makers in the 1970s, when the number of women in gainful employment began to rise continuously in most European states. The reasons for this development are well known: changing economic (and income) structures as a result of economic growth, greater equality in gender roles, and also changing family structures.