“It is true that care doesn’t follow a schedule. Women know it too well, as they are often the ones who bear the bulk of care responsibilities – childcare, household tasks, care for the elderly or dependent relatives. For many mothers and carers, not having the possibility of flexible work arrangements will mean they will have to reduce working hours, take unpaid leave or leave employment entirely. For women, this means more than missed career opportunities: it directly contributes to the gender employment, pay and pension gaps, as well as hindering women’s ability to participate in public life.
Flexibility alone is not enough to close these gaps, but it does give a fairer chance to carers, to women. While we must work towards a equal-earner, equal-carer model and the promotion of a more equal sharing of care responsibilities between men and women, flexibility is not a shortcut but a necessary pre-condition to achieve it.”
