The FEMM Committee organises a Public Hearing entitled “Enhancing gender equality through common European action on care". The hearing examines gender aspects of provision of care, especially with regard to uneven distribution of care responsibilities in formal and informal care, but also the overrepresentation of women in the care sector, the challenges related to this at EU level including the consequences on the gender pay and gender pension gaps and on the work-life balance and the possible added value of common European action on care. Different speakers present their experiences, analysis and suggestions. The European Commission is represented by Dubravka Šuica, EC Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality (video statement).

Brussels

SCHMIT, Nicolas (LU, EC)

ŠUICA, Dubravka (EPP, HR, EC)

REGNER, Evelyn (S&D, AT)

Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

DALLI, Helena (MT, EC)

EP Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Enhancing gender equality through common European action on care

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, An excellent good afternoon. The vice president said the commissioner at Schmidt. It's really an honour to see the both of you in person, three dimensional, in our committee hearing this afternoon. So it's really a great pleasure to welcome you as well as already a rising number of members of the European Parliament to our hearing entitled Enhancing Gender Equality through Common European Action on Care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, First of all, I would like to see some procedural remarks. I see you're so disciplined and wearing your mask, so thanks very much. We had some little changes concerning the rules of procedure and how we do that here in this house so, of course, everybody is obliged to wear masks all the time also when being here in this room, except for the moment when speaking, then you are allowed to take the masks off. Thank you very much to all of you are already going for so many months with a lot of discipline through these obligations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, Then I would like to make a few practical announcements: interpretation is available in 16 languages, namely German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Maltese Coalition, Croatian, so a bunch of languages. The meeting is also web-streamed. And please also know that the time for interventions is limited. The clock will be displayed throughout the event in order to better monitor our time. All this, unfortunately, is necessary as our time is limited.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, In order to ask for the floor speakers should press the "raise hand" and once given the floor, they should press the speak button. So now to the today's event event: you could already see our beautiful posters hanging around here with a big heart, referring to the importance of the whole care issue. A topic we are discussing today is, as already indicated in the beginning, enhancing gender equality through Common European action on Care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, Care encompasses the paid work of childcare, education and health care workers, those employed in institutional long term care settings, informal or unpaid work in the community, as well as domestic working at home. Thus, all parts of human life from the very first to the very last seconds. Informal carers, 75 percent of whom are women, provide 80 percent of care in the European Union. So a huge issue.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, Care is highly undervalued, receives little recognition, is frequently poorly paid and often even unpaid. The hearing today aims to gather ideas, proposals and ways concerning gendered aspects in relation to the provision of care. Some of the aspects we should discuss include: the uneven distribution of care responsibility in formal and informal care, the overrepresentation of women in the care sector, the consequences on the gender pay and the gender pension gap and a work-life balance. And the possible added value of common European action on care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, So will carefully listen to all of your contributions today and include them into our ongoing work. In particular, the conclusions of our hearing will feed into the non-legislative Own-Initiative report on the same topic. I'm honoured to introduce our distinguished guest, including three European commissioners, one of whom is Vice-President of the Commission, and five experts working or carrying out research in the field of care. And so I'm very much looking forward to the debate we have today, and I will give a straightforward the floor to the Dubravka Suica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, European Commission for seven minutes and of course I am pleased to have you here in person. So please, Dubravka.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA,Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, Thank you, Mrs Regner and your honourable members, dear ladies and gentlemen. First of all, let me express my gratitude for being here, back in the committee. Since I used to be a member and a substitute here in this committee, and I'm looking forward to our cooperation. So it's a real pleasure for me to be here today, and I want to go straight to the point since you said seven minutes. So, care concerns everyone, every member of our society, from the very young to the older people. It is an essential feature of our life cycle.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, We all provide or receive care at various points in our lives. We may need or provide care even as a child, as an older person or someone else who needs of care. Many of us assume roles as carers in our families and neighbourhoods or as professionals, as you already said Mrs. Mrs Regner. The fact that you have three commissioners contributing to your hearing today is in itself significant. Our participation underpins both the cross-cutting nature of care in our lives, as well as the importance that the commission attaches to the topic of care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, Recently, in September, on 15th of September, president Von Der Leyen announced in the State of the Union address that we will come forward in next year with the new European Care Strategy to support both men and women in finding the best care and the best life balance for them. We can all agree that the COVID 19 pandemic has strongly affected our care systems, their users and their providers. Challenges in this area were mounting already for a while. However, in the blink of an eye, the pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to access affordability, quality and sustainability in the care sector, as well as fair working conditions and decent jobs.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, The unprecedented situation over the last one and a half year also brought to light that care responsibilities are still very unequally shared between parents. When Schools and kindergartens closed during the lockdowns it was women who shouldered the lion's share of additional care duties, and some women were also already caring for the older members of their families, too. At the same time, while the pandemic exposed the vulnerability of older people to diseases, we also could see the need for a robust long term care services. High mortality rates in care homes exposed the fact that long term care systems lacked the capacity to respond to emergency crisis and provide continuous, high quality care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, It is clear, therefore, that European care strategy will need to address both child care and long term care, and questions of gender equality will need to play a central role in this. And this is the reason why this committee is also interested in this topic. As you said today, women make up the majority of informal carers and the workers in form of care jobs. The equal participation of women and men in the labour market is not yet a reality. This is mainly because women still carry a disproportionate share of care responsibilities, in particular with regard to children and the mandatory school age. Therefore, better working conditions for formal carers would contribute to reducing the gender pay and passion gap, and better childcare would allow more women to pursue remunerated work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, In a nutshell, a strengthened care sector would have a major impact on gender equality. This is why we need to address the childcare gap. Improved access to early childhood education and care will foster the development of the cognitive and social abilities of pre-school children. It will also strengthen the social inclusion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is also why part of the upcoming carers strategy will be dedicated to the revision of the Barcelona targets on early childhood education and care. I'm sure my colleague, Commissioner Helena Dalli, will delve into this in more detail.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, Continuing, we must recognise that the demographic trend of ageing is one of the major transformations affecting our societies, along with climate change and the digital transition. Today 20% of the population is above 65. By 2070, it will be 30 percent. Ageing represents both a challenge and an opportunity for our society and the individual level. In addition, it has marked gender dimension with the adoption of the Green Paper on Ageing in January earlier this year. We launched the broad debate and public consultation. One of the findings of this debate is that we can expect a substantial rise in demand for long term care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, This means that we need to consider ways to expand and reinforce quality care provision by also ensuring the financial sustainability of the long term care systems. My dear colleague Nicholas Schmit will drive our work in this regard and once again in the area of long term care, we have a telling example of how the negative consequences of ageing disproportionately affect women more than men. Women are more likely to be in need of long term care and it is women who are also providing more care than men do, and it is women who are less able to afford care because of gender inequalities accumulated throughout their lives. And to conclude, these are serious issues to be addressed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, The good news is that they are firmly high on the agenda of this commission. They may face serious challenges in the area of care, but there are also vital opportunities that we need to grasp. But be it in terms of innovation, job creation, potential new technologies see intergenerational relations and importantly in terms of enhancing gender equality. After all, care is fundamental to how our society functions economically, structurally, as a community and in terms of our values. We need to ask ourselves what is the best care we can provide to those in need? And crucially, how do we care for those who provide the essential service of care?

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Democracy and Demography, In essence, this discussion is about the value our society place on care. I believe we live in a caring society. We should nurture this and seize the opportunity to build and support for the possible in the most comprehensive way possible. The European Care Strategy will add the much needed new European dimension to this key part of our lives, and I'm looking forward to working closely with you on these topics. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, Thank you very much. That's what we are doing. We're looking very much forward to working with you on the issue. And the same goes to our commissioner, Nicolas Schmit, responsible for jobs, social rights, so a lot to for care. So highly welcome.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Thank you very much. Well, for me first, Dear Madam Chair, it's a great pleasure to be in these committee. I think the first thing I come to this committee, so it's a great pleasure and honour to be here and especially also to attend this hearing on on the very important topic, the care issue, because care, as already said, is part of everyone's life. As the vice president has has expressed it. It starts in childhood and continues into adult life as care receivers or caregivers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Well, the COVID 19 crisis has highlighted the essential dimension of care in people's daily lives, as well as the vulnerability of care systems accumulated through years of under and under investments in this policy area. We have seen how care workers wear on the frontline. They have done so often with precarious working conditions and low pay. Yet their work was essential to keep our societies afloat. When we are talking about resilience, certainly a good care system is part of a resilient society as we work on recovery. It is urgent to revalue this essential work.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, The care sector has long has a large job creation potential. Today, there are 6.4 million people working in the care economy, and stuff shortages are already being reported by 2030, giving the ageing of our population. The vice president, who has referred to other seven million additional job openings, are estimated to arise. And this is a challenge, because we do not know exactly from where these people we come from, where we will take this additional personnel. This potential can only be realised if the sector provides good working conditions and becomes attractive.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, The way the care systems are organised differs across the EU. Its member states share similar challenges. First, there is a challenge related to access, take to long term care: Europe's ageing population will lead to ever more people needing it. Yet there will be less people to provide it. However, already today there are many people who do not have access to high quality formal long term care services. Only around 30 per cent of older people in need of Long-Term Care and who live in private households used formal home care services in 2019. In many cases, care services are simply not available and where services exist, they are often too expensive.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Research shows that without social protection schemes, long term care is is becoming unaffordable, especially for people in middle and low income households. Even when in place, social protection coverage is limited in scope and for families, the out-of-pocket expenditure necessary to ensure care pushes them into poverty. As a result, informal carers have to take on a larger share of care provision. Around 44 million Europeans are frequent, informal, long term care givers. And, as you know, the overall majority of the informal carers again are women.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, This work, which goes unpaid and is invisible in the statistics, is estimated to be around 2.7 % of the EU's GDP. In many countries, this is greater than the public investment done in the sector. In some cases, informal carers have to reduce their working hours or even drop out of the labour market completely to fulfil their caring responsibilities. While informal care is sometimes a matter of preference, it may often be the only option due to the lack of organised services. Reinforcing the provision of affordable formal care is therefore essential to reach those in need and give informal carers real options to stay or enter the labour market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, It is an essential investment to support social fairness and gender equality. Another challenge concerns quality care, quality assurance standards and practises vary widely across the EU. Quality of services depends on several factors, such as organisation, technology and funding. But most importantly, quality of care depends on the workforce, so improving quality of care is first and foremost about improving the working conditions of those working in the sector and also giving them the right skills.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Work in the care sector is made difficult due to the prevalence of precarious work contracts, irregular working hours, shift working, physical and social strains. In all member states the average earnings in the sector are lower than those in other sectors. An adequate workforce is key to meeting the rising demand for high quality services. Investment in skills development, the promotion of better working conditions and decent wages are essential. And reinforce social dialoge in the sector will play a key role to achieve this goal, that refers also to the possibility of collective bargaining.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, I have mentioned informal carers, those providing care to their relatives. I've also mentioned care workers, those who have a profession in this sector, whether one or the other, they are predominantly women. It is women who carry out the bug of caring activities in our societies. And it's not a coincidence that 60 percent of minimum wage earners are women. It is not a coincidence that women have longer career breaks, or that more women than men do not seek employment due to family responsibilities. And it is not a coincidence that for that reason, women have lower pensions later in life, wage gap and also pension gap. This is why investment in the care sector is a precondition for more gender equality.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, The multiple facets of care from the perspectives of persons, in need of care and of carers alike, are well captured in the European Pillar of Social Rights, at least three principles referred directly to care: Child Care principle 11, Health Care Principles 16, and Long Term Care Principle 18. We continue in our work on implementing the pillar to ensure decent jobs, fair working conditions, adequate social protection and better social services in people's lives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan announced specific care related initiatives for 2022, and as Vice-President Suica mentioned, the Commission and the president during the last her last speech, here at the Parliament, the Commission will come forward with a new European care strategy. Once adopted by the co-legislators, the commission proposal for a directive on adequate minimum wages will also be very relevant to ensuring decent wages in the sector. And finally, EU funding, including the ESF+ and other funds, is available and can help ensure service provision and the creation of good quality jobs. The Commission also encourages the member states to use the Recovery and Resilience Facility to invest in and reform long term care systems. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Evelyn REGNER (S&amp;D, AT), FEMM Chair, Thank you very much, Commissioner. And now we passed to our fourth invited guest, Honourable Commissioner Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, who will join us taking part remotely. So, welcome also to you and we are looking very much forward to listening to your words on the care issue. So please.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The difficulties faced in the past 18 months have brought to light the importance of the care sector. We learnt just how much we all rely on care in our daily lives, and how we make professional choices based on the care services available. The COVID 19 telework set up and the closing of schools created challenges for parents to assure both business continuity as well as home schooling.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, But women shouldered the lion's share of additional care responsibilities that emerged in the wake of the pandemic. This trend ultimately risks reinforcing old gender roles. We know that women's access and participation in the labour market depends on affordable and accessible childcare services. In 2018, women only represented 68 percent, versus 78 percent of men on the labour market. They can no longer afford to neglect the talent and skills of women.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, In terms of childcare facilities, progress has been relatively slow and uneven across the EU. This is why next year, a proposal for the revision of the Barcelona targets will be put forward as part of the care package announced by the president in her State of the Union address. As with childcare, women also shoulder the bulk of care responsibilities for both the elderly and family members with disabilities, as well as service providers. In 2019, 32 per cent of women, aged 65 or over, were in need of long term care, compared with 19 per cent of men in the same age group. At the same time, on average, women have lower pensions than men, which effectively means women are less likely to be able to afford the care that they need.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, As an employer, mainly for women, the care sector also experienced extreme challenges and pressure in the past year. In the EU women make up 72 percent of healthcare professionals, 73 percent of education workers, and 90 percent of the workers and the long term care sector. But too often, women remain in lower paid positions and undervalued jobs, and continue to be under-represented in decision making positions and the healthcare sector. Women have put their own health at risk to serve others, not only as nurses and midwives by this health care support and care workers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, We entrust care workers with the wellbeing and safety of our loved ones, but fail to recognise and value their formal and informal contribution to society and our economy. This is why the European Care Strategy, including the revision of the Barcelona targets and the Initiative on Long Term Care, will provide a framework for reform. This framework will lead to improved care services as well as advancement in care sector working conditions. It will complement the gender equality strategy as well as the Directive on Work-Life Balance adopted in 2019, which aim to promote a more gender equal sharing of care responsibilities, and the breaking of stereotypes and formal and informal care.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, In line with the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Commission will issue guidance by 2023 on independent living and inclusion in the community, including personal assistants. We will also present a social services framework of excellence for persons with disabilities by 2024. The care initiative will allow us to come closer to our shared goal to shape a European Union where each and every citizen is free to thrive, no matter their gender.