On Thursday, September 29, the European Parliament hosted the 4th Annual FamiliesAndSocieties Stakeholder Seminar, promoted by the Stockholm University, FamiliesAndSocieties and Population Europe. Panelists addressed the topics of transition from youth to adulthood, equality and childcare.
There was a general consensus that formal childcare is important for the development of children’s capacities and that paternal leave should be promoted, not only through legislation, but also through public campaigns and raising awareness. Panelists agreed that flexibility at work is important to balance family and professional lives and to allow people to take leaves when they have children or need to care for elderly relatives. However, it was clear from the discussion that this is difficult to implement, as the labour market is changing quickly and realities vary across countries.
FamiliesAndSocieties is a collaborative research project coordinated by the Stockholm University and financed by the European Union, whose main objective is to increase knowledge on how policies promote well-being, inclusion and sustainable societal development among families. It was launched on February 1, 2013, and will finish on January 31, 2017.
