27/02/2007: Measures to reconcile family life and studies
Experts from a variety of different fields discussed on Tuesday in Brussels measures to facilitate improved reconciliation of family life and studies at a public hearing, which was organised by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality regarding the own-initiative report prepared by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP (EPP-ED, Greece).
The experts participating at the hearing were Vegard Skirbekk, Demographer at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg (Austria), Claudia Menne, Head of the Department for Gender Equality at the DGB (German trade union umbrella organisation), Claudette Abela Baldacchino, Member of the Culture and Education Committee and the Economic and Social Committee of the Committee of the Regions, and Grace Attard, member of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship of the Economic and Social Committee and member of the National Council of Women in Malta.
Mr Skirbekk noted that students with children receive state funding in Norway. He presented statistics that compare motherhood rates of young female students across Europe, revealing that 41 percent of Swedish students give birth to a child before finishing their studies, compared to 31 percent in Finland, 30 percent in Norway, 13 percent in Italy, 12 percent in Greece, Austria and Germany, 9 percent in France and 4 percent in Belgium.
According to Mr Skirbekk, the average age of women giving birth to their first child has been rising continuously since 1975, which is due to the fact that studies last much longer nowadays. For example in Sweden, women have their first child at the average age of 23, if they have a primary school education, compared to women with a university education who have their first child only at the average age of 27.
Mr Skirbekk also compared the fertility rates of women in Eastern and Western Europe according to their level of education between 1995 and 2000: these rates reached between 2,24 percent (women without education) and 1,54 percent (women with an university degree) in Western Europe and between 1,62 percent and 1,15 percent in Eastern Europe.
Mrs Attard emphasized the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy regarding employment rates of women. She noticed that the increased age of women who give birth to their first child is due to a longer period of studies and economic problems.
Mrs Menne stressed that the European economy needs highly-qualified workers and that it is also necessary to support families. The Member States must coordinate their policies and evaluate the results of the measures taken. Mrs Menne stated that female and male students do not have the same aspirations concerning the wish to have a child: a study in Germany found that two female students out of four wish to have a child compared to only one male student out of four. According to her, young male students were less willing to take the risk of starting a family.
A representative of the European Commission has highlighted that she has recently published her report about the application of the Lisbon Strategy and she noted that progress has been made concerning the employment of women and child care facilities. She has also announced that Commissioner Špidla will issue a declaration concerning child care facilities at the Parliamentary Session in March. The regulatory activity of the European Social Fund has been modified so that it can fully contribute to the setting up of child care facilities.
At the end of the debate, Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou remarked that the legal competence to undertake measures related to family issues falls under the Member States. The objective of her report is not to privilege a certain group of people, for example students, but to examine measures that can be taken to allow young people to start a family and have as many children as they desire.
Experts from a variety of different fields discussed on Tuesday in Brussels measures to facilitate improved reconciliation of family life and studies at a public hearing, which was organised by the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality regarding the own-initiative report prepared by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP (EPP-ED, Greece).
The experts participating at the hearing were Vegard Skirbekk, Demographer at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg (Austria), Claudia Menne, Head of the Department for Gender Equality at the DGB (German trade union umbrella organisation), Claudette Abela Baldacchino, Member of the Culture and Education Committee and the Economic and Social Committee of the Committee of the Regions, and Grace Attard, member of the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship of the Economic and Social Committee and member of the National Council of Women in Malta.
Mr Skirbekk noted that students with children receive state funding in Norway. He presented statistics that compare motherhood rates of young female students across Europe, revealing that 41 percent of Swedish students give birth to a child before finishing their studies, compared to 31 percent in Finland, 30 percent in Norway, 13 percent in Italy, 12 percent in Greece, Austria and Germany, 9 percent in France and 4 percent in Belgium.
According to Mr Skirbekk, the average age of women giving birth to their first child has been rising continuously since 1975, which is due to the fact that studies last much longer nowadays. For example in Sweden, women have their first child at the average age of 23, if they have a primary school education, compared to women with a university education who have their first child only at the average age of 27.
Mr Skirbekk also compared the fertility rates of women in Eastern and Western Europe according to their level of education between 1995 and 2000: these rates reached between 2,24 percent (women without education) and 1,54 percent (women with an university degree) in Western Europe and between 1,62 percent and 1,15 percent in Eastern Europe.
Mrs Attard emphasized the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy regarding employment rates of women. She noticed that the increased age of women who give birth to their first child is due to a longer period of studies and economic problems.
Mrs Menne stressed that the European economy needs highly-qualified workers and that it is also necessary to support families. The Member States must coordinate their policies and evaluate the results of the measures taken. Mrs Menne stated that female and male students do not have the same aspirations concerning the wish to have a child: a study in Germany found that two female students out of four wish to have a child compared to only one male student out of four. According to her, young male students were less willing to take the risk of starting a family.
A representative of the European Commission has highlighted that she has recently published her report about the application of the Lisbon Strategy and she noted that progress has been made concerning the employment of women and child care facilities. She has also announced that Commissioner Špidla will issue a declaration concerning child care facilities at the Parliamentary Session in March. The regulatory activity of the European Social Fund has been modified so that it can fully contribute to the setting up of child care facilities.
At the end of the debate, Mrs Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou remarked that the legal competence to undertake measures related to family issues falls under the Member States. The objective of her report is not to privilege a certain group of people, for example students, but to examine measures that can be taken to allow young people to start a family and have as many children as they desire.
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