Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Marynissen, Leen
Data de Publicação: 2021
Outros Autores: Wood, Jonas, Neels, Karel
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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spelling 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
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834
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url https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v9i2.3834
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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
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