ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the childcare risk and if diversification in childcare policy across Europe results in gender inequality. In particular, it illustrates the issues of gender inequality by comparing outcomes of childcare arrangements in the Netherlands and the UK within a European context. In the Netherlands, more so than in other Western countries, a rapid diffusion of part-time work accelerated the growth of female employment, and the Netherlands now has the highest rate of part-time work throughout Europe. The diversification of childcare policies across Europe does not lead to gender equality. In the Netherlands, the rapid childcare policy changes made by the government during the past ten years, have affected how policy shapes the individual life course. The Netherlands has a long-standing tradition of consultation and coordination in socio-economic policy-making, which is likely to shape future responses to changing social risks.
