Times of economic uncertainty call for a review of the ways that contributions to a country’s development and welfare are assessed. While this is undoubtedly a time of crisis, it is perhaps also an opportunity to change and review discriminatory and outdated economic concepts. Meeting in New York on the occasion of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), over a hundred members of parliament expressed their hope that the response to the current economic crisis will address current imbalances and misconceptions, recognize and reward women’s various contributions to the economy and promote a more gender-balanced sharing of societal roles.
The question of equal sharing of care responsibilities between men and women was the subject of this year’s CSW and of the parliamentary meeting organized by the IPU and the UN Division for the Advancement of Women on that occasion, on 4 March.
The outcome document of the meeting highlighted several priority areas. The need to recognize and make more visible unpaid care work should be upheld as a general principle, regardless of whether it is performed by women or men, although it is a well-known fact that the majority of unpaid care work is performed by women. Without visibility there can be no protection, no rights, no benefits, no inclusion and no support.
The need to reduce the burden of unpaid work and promote equal sharing of responsibilities between men and women in the field of care required a review of existing legislative frameworks and harmonization of national policies and laws with international commitments, particularly those aimed at protecting and supporting women workers.
It was imperative to change mindsets and address gender stereotypes. As opinion makers, parliamentarians can make a difference by challenging existing gender stereotypes and prompting a change of mentality by publicly highlighting the value of care and drawing attention to the role and responsibilities of men.
The role of institutions and, in particular, the institution of parliament, was highlighted. There was much debate about how the workplace, and in this particular case parliaments, can become more gender-sensitive and family-friendly. One of the primary obstacles to women’s political participation is their difficulty in balancing family responsibilities with political commitments. Participants examined some reforms implemented by parliaments, but examples are few and far between. Parliamentarians need to lead by example. Therefore, one of the specific responsibilities identified was to start implementing family-friendly measures within parliaments, which themselves should set benchmarks for good institutional performance.
