Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2021 |
Outros Autores: | , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834 |
Resumo: | In recent decades, many Western European countries introduced parental leave policies to support the work–family combination in families with young children. However, these parental leave schemes often exhibit employment‐based eligibility criteria, so the question arises to which extent social inequalities emerge in the access to parental leave, and as a result thereof also in the uptake of parental leave. Although research on parental leave increasingly addresses the issue of inclusiveness, only a limited number of studies has yet examined individual‐level differentials in parents’, and especially mothers’, eligibility. Using detailed register data, we develop an individual‐level indicator of eligibility in Belgium and deploy it to document differentiation in mothers’ eligibility by age at first birth, partnership status, migration background and education. In addition, we examine to what extent differential eligibility can explain inequalities in parental leave uptake. Our results show that a considerable share of mothers—specifically very young, single, low educated mothers and mothers with a migration background—do not meet the eligibility criteria and thus are structurally excluded from parental leave in Belgium. Furthermore, differential eligibility can account for a large part of the age and educational gradients in parental leave use, as well as differences by migration background. Eligibility cannot (fully) account for lower parental leave use by single mothers and mothers with a Moroccan or Turkish migration background. Our findings suggest that a reconsideration of eligibility criteria may be instrumental in increasing the inclusiveness of parental leave policies. |
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Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and UptakeBelgium; eligibility; inclusiveness; mothers; parental leave; social inequalitiesIn recent decades, many Western European countries introduced parental leave policies to support the work–family combination in families with young children. However, these parental leave schemes often exhibit employment‐based eligibility criteria, so the question arises to which extent social inequalities emerge in the access to parental leave, and as a result thereof also in the uptake of parental leave. Although research on parental leave increasingly addresses the issue of inclusiveness, only a limited number of studies has yet examined individual‐level differentials in parents’, and especially mothers’, eligibility. Using detailed register data, we develop an individual‐level indicator of eligibility in Belgium and deploy it to document differentiation in mothers’ eligibility by age at first birth, partnership status, migration background and education. In addition, we examine to what extent differential eligibility can explain inequalities in parental leave uptake. Our results show that a considerable share of mothers—specifically very young, single, low educated mothers and mothers with a migration background—do not meet the eligibility criteria and thus are structurally excluded from parental leave in Belgium. Furthermore, differential eligibility can account for a large part of the age and educational gradients in parental leave use, as well as differences by migration background. Eligibility cannot (fully) account for lower parental leave use by single mothers and mothers with a Moroccan or Turkish migration background. Our findings suggest that a reconsideration of eligibility criteria may be instrumental in increasing the inclusiveness of parental leave policies.Cogitatio2021-06-11info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834oai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/3834Social Inclusion; Vol 9, No 2 (2021): The Inclusiveness of Social Rights: The Case of Parental Leave Policies; 325-3372183-2803reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3834https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3834/3834https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/downloadSuppFile/3834/1736Copyright (c) 2021 Leen Marynissen, Jonas Wood, Karel Neelshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessMarynissen, LeenWood, JonasNeels, Karel2022-12-20T11:00:31Zoai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/3834Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T16:22:00.744506Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
title |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
spellingShingle |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake Marynissen, Leen Belgium; eligibility; inclusiveness; mothers; parental leave; social inequalities |
title_short |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
title_full |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
title_fullStr |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
title_sort |
Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake |
author |
Marynissen, Leen |
author_facet |
Marynissen, Leen Wood, Jonas Neels, Karel |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Wood, Jonas Neels, Karel |
author2_role |
author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Marynissen, Leen Wood, Jonas Neels, Karel |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Belgium; eligibility; inclusiveness; mothers; parental leave; social inequalities |
topic |
Belgium; eligibility; inclusiveness; mothers; parental leave; social inequalities |
description |
In recent decades, many Western European countries introduced parental leave policies to support the work–family combination in families with young children. However, these parental leave schemes often exhibit employment‐based eligibility criteria, so the question arises to which extent social inequalities emerge in the access to parental leave, and as a result thereof also in the uptake of parental leave. Although research on parental leave increasingly addresses the issue of inclusiveness, only a limited number of studies has yet examined individual‐level differentials in parents’, and especially mothers’, eligibility. Using detailed register data, we develop an individual‐level indicator of eligibility in Belgium and deploy it to document differentiation in mothers’ eligibility by age at first birth, partnership status, migration background and education. In addition, we examine to what extent differential eligibility can explain inequalities in parental leave uptake. Our results show that a considerable share of mothers—specifically very young, single, low educated mothers and mothers with a migration background—do not meet the eligibility criteria and thus are structurally excluded from parental leave in Belgium. Furthermore, differential eligibility can account for a large part of the age and educational gradients in parental leave use, as well as differences by migration background. Eligibility cannot (fully) account for lower parental leave use by single mothers and mothers with a Moroccan or Turkish migration background. Our findings suggest that a reconsideration of eligibility criteria may be instrumental in increasing the inclusiveness of parental leave policies. |
publishDate |
2021 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2021-06-11 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834 oai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/3834 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834 |
identifier_str_mv |
oai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/3834 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3834 https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3834/3834 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/downloadSuppFile/3834/1736 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2021 Leen Marynissen, Jonas Wood, Karel Neels http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2021 Leen Marynissen, Jonas Wood, Karel Neels http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Social Inclusion; Vol 9, No 2 (2021): The Inclusiveness of Social Rights: The Case of Parental Leave Policies; 325-337 2183-2803 reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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