The Lone Mothers: Building Social Inclusion project is a collaboration between researchers at five universities and community organisations in three research sites in Canada. The aim of this five-year longitudinal study is to examine the social assistance and labour market experiences of lone mothers. Drawing on qualitative interviews with lone mothers receiving social assistance in three Canadian provinces, as well as a focus group conducted with workers in the welfare system in Toronto, this article examines how women’s relationship with state policy and workers constructs and enforces a ‘submissive lone mother’ subjectivity and perpetuates neoliberal governance strategies.

The 2004 Civil Partnership Act came into effect in the UK in December 2005. It created the legal status of ‘civil partner’ and enabled same-sex couples for the first time to register their relationship and to gain a number of legally recognised rights and responsibilities. This article reports on the findings of a qualitative study that used in-depth interviews with members of same-sex couples to explore the personal impacts of this legislative change on their lives. The research suggests that the Civil Partnership Act has had significant positive impacts in terms of improving the lives of, and reducing perceived discrimination against, same-sex couples. It also highlights a range of effects of the legislation that for some couples were not desired.

Although non-discrimination and the free movement of persons are fundamental principles of the European Union (EU), discrimination against same-sex partners in many EU member countries presents serious barriers to free movement. In many member countries, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people experience discrimination in all aspects of their lives, including civil status and social security. The interface of a plethora of civil statuses and benefit entitlement conditions means that same-sex partners exercising their right of free movement under the Treaty of Rome may find their status and entitlements changing as they move between different ‘rights regimes’, to the detriment of their social security coverage. The proposed new EU Directive on equal treatment may not prevent this discrimination although, if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, the Charter of Fundamental Rights may provide a route and an opportunity to do so.

This paper provides an overview of the aims, methodology and recommendations of The Children’s Society’s Good Childhood Inquiry. It calls for a change in attitude towards children and young people and argues that the eradication of financial inequality and age discrimination must be prioritised in current legislation and policy to ensure a good childhood for all children. It challenges public policy makers and practitioners to ‘relationship-proof’ their work to address children’s real concerns, as identified through research.

Evaluating the quality of employment and care policy in relation to gender equality is important given the continuing inequalities between men and women in paid and unpaid work. However, assessment raises dilemmas: quality according to what criteria; quality for whom; and quality of what? It is proposed here that good quality means transformation in gender relations towards an equal distribution of paid and unpaid work, equal pay and de-segregation; that sensitivity to differences between women is required, but not the adoption of different quality standards; and that working towards the goal of transformation demands consideration of several interconnected policy arenas. Assessing quality is difficult; but it is possible – and it is crucial to achieving gender equality.