It’s time to tear down the barriers preventing women and men from having the careers, and number of children, they want

Women across Europe and Central Asia are still widely expected to shoulder much of the unpaid work at home: cleaning, managing the household, caring for children, husbands and older relatives. This, to a large extent, explains the gender gap we see in the labour markets. Fewer women than men work in paid employment, and those who do are likely to earn less than men, advance slower, and hold more precarious jobs.

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Inclusive Family Policies for a Better Future

Join UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia on 22 September for the live stream of our “Inclusive Family Policies for a Better Future” conference in Istanbul. We're bringing together policymakers, the private sector and experts to discuss gender-responsive family policies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The opening session will be live streamed on UNFPA EECARO's YouTube channel. This session will set the scene for the region by exploring the linkages between gender-responsive family policies, unpaid care work, gender equality, and demographic resilience.  Speakers: Dubravka Šuica, European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography H.E. Marcel Spatari, Minister of Labour and Social Protection, Republic of Moldova Florence Bauer, Regional Director, UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia Annemie Driesken, President, Coface Families Europe Francesco C. Billari, Professor of Demography, Bocconi University Moderator: Kasia Madera, BBC Join the live stream on 22 September at 10:15 a.m. Istanbul time on UNFPA EECARO's YouTube channel. The full event is by invitation only. For more information, please contact UNFPA EECARO. 

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UNFPA promotes engaged fatherhood and paternity leave in the Western Balkans and Moldova

“One day, my little girl was given a task by the teacher to draw her dream,” said Gjergj Figuri, from Albania. “I asked her, “What is your dream?” and she said, “to go out for a walk with my family!”” Mr. Figuri is the father of three daughters. He used to spend a lot of time at work, but this short conversation with his daughter made him rethink his work/life balance. He promised his daughter that she would no longer have to dream. “We will spend more time together,” he told her. “I will always be there for my daughters.” Mr. Figuri works for one of 19 companies that are part of UNFPA’s Expanding Choices programme. UNFPA, with support from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), is partnering with the private sector and governments to champion gender-responsive family policies in the Western Balkans and Moldova. Evidence shows that such policies – both at the national level and those implemented by the private sector – are powerful tools to shift discriminatory gender norms and redistribute unpaid care work so that both women and men can realize their career aspirations and their fertility intentions. For example, in Kosovo, 91 per cent of men who took parental leave to share in family caretaking responsibilities said that it had a positive impact on their relationship with their children. When men play a more active role in caregiving, it also supports women and enables them to fulfil their career and fertility aspirations and balance their work and life.

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A young father discovers the joy of parenting as Moldova aims to extend paternity leave

“The joy of being a father starts with equal participation alongside the mother in taking care of the child.” Adrian Băluțel is 29 years old, the father of a four-month baby boy and a Member of Parliament in Moldova. Mr. Băluțel’s rhythm of life changed completely after the birth.

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Disability-Inclusive Family-Friendly Workplaces: Moldova

When designing and implementing Family-Friendly Workplaces, it's important that companies consider different types of care that their employees might be providing at home to ensure that their policies supports families...

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