Abstract
This study identifies policy shortcomings in the structure of Russian family policies and old-age pension calculations and shows how gaps in coverage contribute to the motherhood penalty in Russia. I first show that shortages in access to affordable childcare contribute to mothers' involuntary labor market inactivity leading to loss in earnings. I then discuss how childcare breaks are treated in terms of pensionable experience and present simulation of pension outcomes to show the negative impact of long childcare breaks on mothers' pensions.
Highlights
Russian family policies, inherited from the communist past, extend maternity, parental leave coverage, and affordable childcare to families with children
Despite societal expectations of high-quality care, mothers pay a disproportionally high price, motherhood penalty, manifested in diminished income caused by occupational segregation, reduced employment, discrimination at hiring, and promotion connected to perceptions of incompetence and lack of commitment, and loss of tenure, skills, and other components of human capital during childcare breaks (Budig and England, 2001; Mandel and Semyonov, 2005; Correll et al, 2007; Budig et al, 2012; Boeckmann et al, 2015; Cools and Strøm, 2016; Javornik, 2016; Roosalu and Hofacker, 2016)
Paid leave alleviates the negative impact of career breaks, while accessible childcare provides women choice of strategies and timing for combining motherhood and labor market activity (Lewis and Giullari, 2005; Gornick and Meyers, 2008; Lewis, 2008; Hobson, 2011; Cukrowska-Torzewska, 2017)
Summary
Russian family policies, inherited from the communist past, extend maternity, parental leave coverage, and affordable childcare to families with children. Parenthood dampens mothers’ positions compared to fathers or childless women who are making advances in closing the gender gap (England, 2005; Correll et al, 2007; Misra and Strader, 2013). Despite societal expectations of high-quality care, mothers pay a disproportionally high price, motherhood penalty, manifested in diminished income caused by occupational segregation, reduced employment, discrimination at hiring, and promotion connected to perceptions of incompetence and lack of commitment, and loss of tenure, skills, and other components of human capital during childcare breaks (Budig and England, 2001; Mandel and Semyonov, 2005; Correll et al, 2007; Budig et al, 2012; Boeckmann et al, 2015; Cools and Strøm, 2016; Javornik, 2016; Roosalu and Hofacker, 2016)
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