ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the most important reasons for the prevailing differences between the European welfare societies in women’s labour market involvement and in their capacity for earning an income sufficient to maintain an independent household. It focuses on the impact of the welfare system on women’s labour market position. The gender structure of employment and welfare provision is thus determined by a complex interrelationship between the organisation of gender relations in the family, men’s and women’s labour market positions, and the welfare policies aiming at reconciling work and care. The family is the major provider of welfare in society, and within families women are responsible for unpaid care and welfare. Including both de-commodification and de-familialisation in defining social citizenship rights implies that paid work no longer has a privileged status compared with unpaid work and care. Civil and political citizenship rights are based upon ideals of equality and universality, while social citizenship rights are more restricted and differentiated.
