Dear Readers,
We hope you all had a nice Easter break, and got to spend some time with your family. It certainly gave us the opportunity to relax and take a step back to fully appreciate the devastating consequences of the terrorist attacks that caused so much pain for so many families. COFACE mourns for all the victims and expressed condolences to the families (see our press release).
Europe is suffering a major humanitarian emergency. Many families in Europe are in distress at our borders and across the continent. Thousands of refugees continue risking their lives to reach Europe. In those difficult times we realize how important it is for COFACE to further defend the great variety of needs of families all over Europe and stimulate the design of effective measures that improve their quality of life.
Thanks to the active participation of our members and their representatives, COFACE is involved in a great variety of activities. Through various conferences and workshops, we foster exchange and mutual learning between members (and also via this newsletter).
Our advocacy focuses on reconciliation of family and work, family carers, ECEC, financial inclusion, safer internet, and gender equality.
In the Annual Report 2015 that we are now sharing with you, you will find out that COFACE focused on families in vulnerable situations and families, and you can also read about our more recent activities and realisations.
COFACE has ambitious plans for our policy packages and especially our European Reconciliation Package (ERP), bringing them to the attention to policy makers and setting them high up on the policy agenda. The ERP reflects a clear sense of what families in Europe need to reconcile work and family life. We will continue promoting this important piece of work in the following months. As you will see in an article below, we were invited to present our recommendations in the European Parliament during an important public hearing "Creating Labour Market conditions Favourable for Work-Life Balance" organised by the EMPL and FEMM committees.
We are now very busy with the final preparations for our high level event in Amsterdam, jointly organised with the focal point of the families of the UN. We invite you to have a look at the interesting programme of this event and to join us for a great discussion on gender equality and the role of family policies and family organisations to bring about change for families!
Annemie Drieskens
President
|
|
COFACE NEWS
COFACE has launched its Annual Report 2015
In 2015 COFACE activities turned around the theme: “Families in a vulnerable situation”.
> We published our European Reconciliation Package
> We organised the Accessible and Fair Financial Services conference
> We highlighted the importance of Two-generation programmes in the field of ECEC
> We organised a capacity building seminar on the European Semester
> We focused on transnational families at our Families Beyond Borders conference
> We launched the #ToysAndDiversity campaign
Download our Annual report 2015 here
|
|
|
COFACE NEWS
Final Countdown - Register to the SDGs and Gender Equality conference in Amsterdam, 19-20 April
COFACE, in cooperation with the UN Focal Point on the Family, is organising the ‘Sustainable Development Goals and Gender Equality: the role of family policies and exchange of good practices’ conference. The conference will put a spotlight on the role of family policies in the implementation of the SDGs and specifically engage in one of the most important and holistic targets of the SDGs: to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (Goal 5).
More information about this event
Registration
|
|
|
COFACE NEWS
Creating Labour Market Conditions Favourable for Work-Life Balance
Following the announcement by the European Commission of a new initiative called "New start to address the challenges of work-life balance faced by working families", the European Parliament Committees EMPL and FEMM, decided to draft jointly, an own initiative report on "Creating Labour Market conditions Favourable for Work-Life Balance".
The report is to serve as an input into the Commission's Roadmap and provide the position of the Parliament on the work-life balance policies. In order to start this process and receive inputs, the Committees organized a public hearing on 22 March 2016, giving the floor to a pool of experts.
|
|
|
|
MEMBERS
New COFACE Member: National Association of Large Families
The National Association of Large Families (NALF) was founded in 1987 with the involvement of about 150 families aiming to offset the prejudices against large families in the society and fighting for those measurements that handicap families with children. Nowadays, NALF has more than 15.000 member families and more than 250 local organisations.
More information on NALF website
|
|
|
MEMBERS
The Pilot Project Bridge has its first graduates, Women for Women, Czech Republic
The organisation Women for Women has developed "The Bridge", an internationally evidence informed programme, based on international best practice, helping parents to focus on:
1/ Goal setting, so parents can plan their future
2/ Getting on top of your habits
3/ Finding the motivation in daily activities
4/ Improving parents’ productivity- perhaps it is attitude, and not skills, which parents need to work on.
|
|
|
MEMBERS
No further budget cuts for persons with disabilities says UNAPEI, France
Earlier this year, the French administrative department of Essonne announced not being able to continue paying social assistance for disability. It declared they plan to lower the financial assistance for the disability sector by 10 million euros over the course of 3 years. UNAPEI has stepped in to break this chain of events and stop any further detrimental cuts by issuing a press release calling for national intervention. These cuts propose removing a substantial proportion of the disability budget with inevitable and significant consequences on the daily lives of the most vulnerable.
|
|
|
|
MEMBERS
Survey on mobility, Ligue des familles, Belgium
Mobility problems are not confined to the plight of commuters. Mobility is a daily headache for many parents. The Ligue des familles is launching a survey on mobility to parents, in view of an upcoming symposium April 14. And difficulties worsen... In only three generations, mobility has become a source of human, social, environmental and economic costs. And our current lives more volatile than those of our grandparents, do not help.
Read more and participate to the survey (in French)
|
|
|
MEMBERS
Continuing vocational training, UNAF, France
A law in 2014 introduced new rights for vocational training for job seekers and private sector employees. UNAF celebrates this but also thinks that more information should be provided to families to become an effective right to education. For UNAF, it is necessary to make a link between vocational training and family life: support for childcare expenses for children, dependent parents, transportation costs, etc. UNAF has published an information brochure for jobseekers and private employees.
|
|
|
MEMBERS
Translation of Brain Research into Clinical Practice meeting, KINAPSI, Greece
The objectives of this event were to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research, and specifically to raise awareness of the recent advances made in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Schizophrenia and Dementia. The meeting took place in Athens on March 15. The program included a Lab Visit, to familiarize the participants with mental health problems and their carers with current neuroscience research in Greece.
|
|
|
|
EU NEWS
Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth
The EU needs to step up its efforts to develop, along with Member States, long-term solutions to improve its social dimension by fighting against poverty, reducing unemployment and by making sure no one is left behind.
The Convention brought together policy makers and civil society to discuss what the EU can do to ensure that all citizens reap the benefits of truly inclusive growth.
The event kicked off with a discussion on the European Pillar of Social Rights initiative and moved on to debates in workshops about specific issues that need work if the EU is to deliver sustainable, long-term inclusive growth.
|
|
|
EU NEWS
Social Summit on a strong partnership for job creation and inclusive growth
The Social Summit took place on the eve of the Spring European Council. Participants exchanged views on: 1/the experiences in implementing the country-specific recommendations, 2/the impact of the migration and refugee crisis on the labour market and 3/the challenges linked to digitalisation.
According to representatives of workers and employers, it is crucial the integration of migrants on the labour markets, in a way that respects equal treatment and opportunities with national workers, mainly in a period characterised by an ageing population and high unemployment.
|
|
|
EU NEWS
EU Semester 2016: fewer Member States have economic imbalances than a year ago
EU Member States have advanced in carrying out the country-specific recommendations issued last year, although to varying degrees across countries and policy areas. These efforts are key in strengthening the European recovery and fostering convergence. They also reflect the focus of this year's European Semester: re-launching investment, implementing structural reforms and pursuing responsible fiscal policies. From now on, all Member States that are found to have imbalances or excessive imbalances will be subject to specific monitoring.
|
|
|
|
EU NEWS
European Consumer Day 2016: Better regulation for consumers
On March 10th, the EESC held a conference on the “Better Regulation” agenda of the European Commission and how it affects consumers. The event called into question the REFIT programme of the EU Commission which is supposed to simplify EU regulation and reduce regulatory costs.
While Commissioner Věra Jourová insisted that «better» regulation does not equal to «deregulation» or lowering regulatory standards, several speakers called into question the effects of the REFIT programme. Monique Goyens, Director-General of BEUC, pointed to several shortcomings of the “Better Regulation” agenda.
|
|
|
|
EU NEWS
“Female breadwinners Families in Europe” research project launched
In the recent years it has been possible to observe an increase in the number of families where more women earned more than 50% of the household income, and in countries like Slovenia and Ireland this concerned up to 40 and 30% of families respectively. Rates decrease considerably if we consider the number of households where women earn more than 60% of the total income but this has triggered some considerations and need for research on this trend and its roots.
These questions and the consequences of the increase of female breadwinner families will be explored in the next two years in the project #FemaleBWin, “Female Breadwinner Families in Europe”, led by the University of Southampton and funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council.
|
|
|
EU NEWS
The changing nature of employment relationships and its impact on maintaining a living wage" at the EESC
The employment relationship is developing so rapidly that many categories of worker do not fit existing employment relationship models. The shift from the traditional employment relationship to more non-standard forms of employment, introduced by online platforms is changing the world of work.
The EESC hearing highlighted the impact of these developments on the labour market, economy, tax and social security systems and the living wage and discuss ways to develop and adapt policy and legislation to gain control of the change and ensure positive outcomes for all.
|
|
|
|
EU NEWS
New report on Trends in the world of work, ILO
A new report entitled Trends in the world of work: What effects on inequalities and middle-income groups, produced by the ILO in cooperation with the European Commission shows that increasing inequalities in recent years have led to a reduction of the middle class in Europe.
The financial and economic crisis has severely affected middle-income groups. Almost all of the EU countries studied have experienced a decrease in the size of their middle class, and the share of total income going to the middle class.
|
|
|
PARTNERS
Better Internet For Kids - General Data Protection regulation: A ‘flexible' step in the right direction
The fifth edition of the Better Internet for Kids bulletin has just been published with a focus on the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, specifically, whether it will help to create a better internet for children and young people. We have some great opinion pieces on the topic from a range of experts.
Our colleague Martin Schmalzried wrote an article on how the provisions of the new GDPR will affect children and young people. Read the full article
|
|
|
PARTNERS
EIGE’s expert meeting on Women and Poverty
COFACE was invited to participate in the expert stakeholders’ meeting to select a number of practices on “Women and Poverty: Non-monetary measures to tackle women’s poverty and social exclusion”. We were asked to attend the group focusing on measures to support Roma women and women with a migrant background. The selected practices will be collected in a publication that will accompany a study on non-monetary measures to tackle women’s poverty and social exclusion. The report will be available here
|
|
|
|
PARTNERS
BEUC launches new website on nutrition to ensure the healthy choice is the easy choice
Consumers in Europe are increasingly curious about what is in their food and how they can eat healthily. The website whatsinyourkitchen.eu has been put together by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) as part of a project launched together with member organisations from 12 countries. It displays the main nutrition issues raised in the position paper Informed food choices for healthier consumers.
‘What’s in your kitchen?’ contains many concrete examples showing that much more remains to be done at EU and national levels to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
|
|
|
PARTNERS
Families and Societies update
The FamiliesAndSocieties project studies important aspects of the family life course, focusing on new family configurations, life goals and transitions, on the new roles of women and men, and on late fertility, childlessness and assisted reproductive technologies.
A new working paper and three articles are now available on their website:
Working paper 50(2016) : Transition to adulthood in France: Do descendants of immigrants differ from natives? Read more
Articles
|
|
|
PARTNERS
EU Survey on ‘Cyberbullying among young people’
The European Parliament has commissioned the law and policy consultancy Milieu Ltd to deliver the ‘Research Paper on cyberbullying among young people’. In the framework of this research, we have been contacted to help them spread the word and disseminate the survey. The purpose of the survey is to collect the views of young people and to test the good practices and recommendations identified through research at national level on cyberbullying.
If you have between 12 and 21 years old, we invite you to fill in the survey (available in 10 languages)
|
|
|
|
|
