Family policy

Abstract

In East Asia, the expansion of family policy was premised on the changing economic and labour market needs. Labour shortage, the demand for female labour and the structural need to improve the work life balance were key factors driving the expansion of family policy. Whether family policy can be seen as either to assure women's full participation rights in the economy or to ensure labour market and economic stability is difficult to establish. In fact, productive measures of maternity and parental leaves may not be far removed from the realisation of social rights. Childcare services and pre-schools help parents reconcile work and family. Childcare, when tied to one's employment status, allows women to remain in employment. At the same time, when decoupled with the labour market participation, childcare can be de-commodifying. Paid leave schemes can also be both commodifying and de-commodifying to the extent that they allow an exit from the labour market and that they also guarantee a return to work.