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Waddington, Lisa --- "Carers, Gender and Employment Discrimination: What Does EU Law Offer Europe’s Carers?" [2011] ELECD 886; in Moreau, Marie-Ange (ed), "Before and After the Economic Crisis" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Before and After the Economic Crisis

Editor(s): Moreau, Marie-Ange

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849809924

Section: Chapter 7

Section Title: Carers, Gender and Employment Discrimination: What Does EU Law Offer Europe’s Carers?

Author(s): Waddington, Lisa

Number of pages: 28

Extract:

7. Carers, gender and employment
discrimination: what does EU law
offer Europe's carers?
Lisa Waddington

INTRODUCTION1

Caring is a gendered activity. Women are far more likely than men to be
engaged in providing care within the home, and to provide care for longer
periods of time. Recipients of care will frequently be children, but also
older people and people with disabilities. In the case of the latter group,
it may be more appropriate to speak of providing personal assistance
rather than care; however, in this article the generic term `care' will be
used to refer to the unpaid support provided within the home. In spite
of the commitments which caring tasks involve, many female (and male)
carers are economically active and engaged in paid employment. In many
cases, as a result of the commitment to caring in terms of time or energy,
this employment is part-time or home-based. Such (atypical) work is
naturally recognised as economic activity, and therefore falls within the
scope of EU employment legislation. As a consequence, all individuals
who combine caring tasks with paid employment, be it typical or atypical
employment, are entitled to benefit from the full range of rights which are
conferred by EU law, including the right not to be discriminated against


1 The author is very grateful to the Academy of European Law, the European

University Institute and Prof. Marie-Ange Moreau for organising the Conference:
`Before and After the Economic Crisis: What Implications for the "European
Social Model"?' ...