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Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake

Author

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  • Leen Marynissen

    (Centre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Jonas Wood

    (Centre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Karel Neels

    (Centre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Belgium)

Abstract

In recent decades, many Western European countries introduced parental leave policies to support the work–family combination in families with young children. However, these parental leave schemes often exhibit employment‐based eligibility criteria, so the question arises to which extent social inequalities emerge in the access to parental leave, and as a result thereof also in the uptake of parental leave. Although research on parental leave increasingly addresses the issue of inclusiveness, only a limited number of studies has yet examined individual‐level differentials in parents’, and especially mothers’, eligibility. Using detailed register data, we develop an individual‐level indicator of eligibility in Belgium and deploy it to document differentiation in mothers’ eligibility by age at first birth, partnership status, migration background and education. In addition, we examine to what extent differential eligibility can explain inequalities in parental leave uptake. Our results show that a considerable share of mothers—specifically very young, single, low educated mothers and mothers with a migration background—do not meet the eligibility criteria and thus are structurally excluded from parental leave in Belgium. Furthermore, differential eligibility can account for a large part of the age and educational gradients in parental leave use, as well as differences by migration background. Eligibility cannot (fully) account for lower parental leave use by single mothers and mothers with a Moroccan or Turkish migration background. Our findings suggest that a reconsideration of eligibility criteria may be instrumental in increasing the inclusiveness of parental leave policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Leen Marynissen & Jonas Wood & Karel Neels, 2021. "Mothers and Parental Leave in Belgium: Social Inequalities in Eligibility and Uptake," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 325-337.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v:9:y:2021:i:2:p:325-337
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tine Kil & Karel Neels & Jonas Wood & Helga A. G. Valk, 2018. "Employment After Parenthood: Women of Migrant Origin and Natives Compared," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(3), pages 413-440, August.
    2. Claire Dujardin & Muriel Fonder & Bernard Lejeune, 2018. "Does Formal Child Care Availability for 0?3 Year Olds Boost Mothers' Employment Rate? Panel Data Based Evidence from Belgium," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 129, pages 103-126.
    3. Jonas Wood & Karel Neels & David De Wachter & Tine Kil, 2016. "Family Formation and Labour Force Participation. Maternal Employment and Educational Differentials in Europe," Population (english edition), Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED), vol. 0(1), pages 53-81.
    4. Eleonora Mussino & Ann-Zofie Duvander, 2016. "Use It or Save It? Migration Background and Parental Leave Uptake in Sweden," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(2), pages 189-210, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sonja Blum & Ivana Dobrotić, 2021. "The Inclusiveness of Social Rights: The Case of Leave Policies," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(2), pages 222-226.
    2. Jonas Wood & Leen Marynissen & Dries Gasse, 2023. "When is it About the Money? Relative Wages and Fathers’ Parental Leave Decisions," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(6), pages 1-24, December.
    3. Alzbeta Bartova & Adeline Otto & Wim Van Lancker, 2022. "Making Parental Leave Policies Work for Single Mothers: Lessons from Europe," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 702(1), pages 129-148, July.
    4. Jonas Wood & Leen Marynissen & Jessica Nisén & Peter Fallesen & Karel Neels & Alessandra Trimarchi & Lars Dommermuth & Ruben Van Gaalen & Martin Kolk & Pekka Martikainen, 2021. "Regional variation in women’s education-fertility nexus in Northern and Western Europe," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2021-021, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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