Promoting labour market participation of parents with young children - International Scientific Symposium
Promoting the labour market participation of parents with young children is one of the most current social and economic issues of our time, and one that is receiving a lot of attention at international level. In this spirit, we organised our International Scientific Symposium, hosted by the ELTE Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. The event started with the launch of the latest KINCS book "Promoting labour market participation of parents with young children across the EU", which brings together the experiences and recommendations of 24 experts from 17 countries on work-life balance and labour market participation of parents with young children.
In her welcome speech, Tünde Fűrész underlined that work-life balance is a central element of Hungarian family policy, and the aim is to ensure that working and having children are not mutually exclusive but reinforcing factors. The president of KINCS said that according to the institute's research, the balance between work and family life is better today than 10-15 years ago. This is also confirmed by the fact that between 2011 and 2021, Hungary has seen the highest increase in the employment rate of women with children under six in the European Union, from 53% to 81%, besides which the total fertility rate has also risen, from 1.23 to 1.61.
In his opening speech, Dr. Balázs Hankó stressed that families are one of the most important pillars of Hungary's successful future, which is why the amount of support for families has been quadrupled since 2010. The Minister of Culture and Innovation indicated that the most significant groups of support are family taxation and family home creation benefits, thanks to which 250,000 families have acquired or extended their homes, and 370,000 family homes have been renovated. He also pointed out that the number of nurseries has increased from 33,000 to 67,500 since 2010, and that the continuous improvement in the provision of childcare, the increase in the number of places and the introduction of the GYED extra scheme have seen more and more mothers with young children returning to the labour market. Speaking about the government's plans for the future, Balázs Hankó said that Parliament is already debating a proposal to provide state scholarships and individual study plans or deferment options for women who have children during university, and that university dorm developments would also create places to help young people to start families during their university years.
Prof. Dr. Pál Sonnevend, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of ELTE, pointed out that the reintegration of parents with young children into the labour market is not only an economic, social and legal issue, but also a personal matter for him, as being a father of five children, he himself constantly faces the difficulties of reconciling work and family life. Parenthood, he said, requires an investment of strength, energy and effort from mothers and fathers alike, and the gradual build-up of a career is particularly difficult, especially for mothers.
The Vice-Rector General of Eötvös Loránd University said that while the value and role of the family is invaluable, its continuity cannot be taken for granted. According to Dr. Lénárd Darázs, we are in a fortunate situation in Hungary, because the Hungarian state considers the protection and support of the well-being of families a priority task. Accordingly, there are complex, constantly renewing family support and family protection systems in place, which have a strong policy basis.
Following the introductory presentations, 15 experts from Member States presented their countries' measures to help parents with young children return to the labour market. The first panel discussion of the Symposium was on the employment of parents with young children, while the second panel was on the social protection of parents with young children. Expert contributions were each followed by a lively discussion.
The volume "Promoting labour market participation of parents with young children across the EU" is available under: https://www.koppmariaintezet.hu/hu/tevekenyseguenk/kiadvanyaink
