10.N. Scientific session: Gender and parenthood: short and long-term income, career, and health inequities

Abstract

Abstract Despite the last decades’ changes in the distribution of household and child-rearing tasks, its main responsibility tends to fall on women. As such, parenting may remain an important determinant of gender inequalities in income, careers, and health and well-being. In 2022, on average, European women’s gross income was 12.7% below men’s. This income gap is, in part, explained by inequalities in full-time employment: in the EU, 31.5% of women with children worked part-time, which contrasts with 20.2% of women without children, with 4.9% of men with children, and 7.2% of men without children. These income and career impacts may occur due to the persistence of some traditional conceptions of the division of paid and nonpaid labor. These conceptions, and the subsequent inequalities in career progression and income, may be reflected in women’s living conditions, work-family conflict, chronic strain, well-being, and health. Yet, it can also be posited that men, experiencing the pressure to remain the main provider in the family and the most recent expectations to comply with childrearing roles, may also see their well-being and health affected. However, countries with higher gender equity have shown better results in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy for women and men. It can be argued that women and men, especially those who have children, benefit from countries with more progressive parental policies, such as longer and more equally divided parental leaves, accessible childcare, or flexible working schemes. It could, thus, be expected that these countries present higher gender equity in paid and nonpaid work division, career progression, and income, with a higher couple balance, and healthier family environments, with health gains for women and men who are parents and their children. This workshop aims to present and open to discussion recent research outcomes on the role of parenthood on income, career, and health inequalities across European countries. It will show results from quantitative and qualitative studies that focus on analyzing these impacts in the short- and long-term. By discussing these results, researchers and public health professionals may grasp parental, labor market, or social policies or health programs to foster gender equality in access to better living conditions and health, especially during and after parenthood. Key messages • Parenthood may widen gender inequities regarding income and career progression, contributing to the gender gap in health and well-being. • By understanding the magnitude of gender inequities and their distribution across countries, public health researchers and professionals may identify policies that effectively address the gender gap.