Research

This paper explores the role of public services—specifically childcare, primary schools, hospitals, and long-term care services— in shaping women’s housework and promoting their participation in the labour market across Europe. We examine how these services can serve as direct sources of employment, particularly through schools and hospitals, and how they may reduce the burden of unpaid labour via their 'defamilialisation' function. Using a novel database covering public service provision in 450 European regions, combined with data from the 2012 and 2016 European Quality of Life Surveys (EQLS), we provide a first assessment of the potential relationships between the availability of these services, and women’s time allocation. Employing a multilevel model analysis, we show that the availability of childcare and long-term care services is associated to a decrease in unpaid work hours, while the presence of schools and hospitals emerges as a source of employment for women. However, these services also appear to be associated with an increase in unpaid work, indicating that public services may not fundamentally change the gendered division of labour but instead reallocate women’s time.

"Maternity Leave and Family Ties Over the Life Cycle" with E. Perdrix

Previous studies indicate that maternity job protection laws influence maternity leave duration, labour force participation, wages, and health. All these factors are likely to affect the geographical distance between adult children and their parents. This distance plays a crucial role in providing informal care across the life cycle, such as childcare, elder care, and emotional support. This paper examines the causal impact of maternity leave on parent-child distance using data from eleven countries in the Survey on Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). To address endogeneity and reverse causality, we use changes in legal maternity leave duration in Europe from 1970 to 2000 as an instrumental variable. Findings reveal that longer maternity leave increases the likelihood of living farther from parents and reduces the probability of providing care to elderly disabled parents in countries with large increases in leave duration. However, no effect is observed on emotional closeness.

"Public support, private power ? : Public services and women’s economic independence within and beyond the household"

"Serving Unequally : Gender segregation and wage gap in French female-dominated public services" with M. Jaoul-Grammare and F. Perrin - funded by GIS-Institut du Genre

"Gender Inequalities: Progress and Challenges" with M. Jaoul-Grammare and F. Perrin in Inequality: Economic and Social Issues, 33-55. 

Gender equality and women's empowerment are universally recognized as essential for sustainable and prosperous development. This chapter offers a comprehensive overview of gender inequalities prevalent in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, delving into the historical context of such disparities with a particular focus on education. The chapter highlights the strides made through the implementation of legal frameworks and policies. However, despite significant progress, gender inequalities persist, leaving women susceptible to adverse consequences in their daily lives and rendering them more vulnerable to economic shocks. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of gender inequalities and taking active measures to address them, societies could strive towards a more inclusive and egalitarian society and foster sustainable and prosperous developments for all.