Gender Equality Policy in the European Union [electronic resource] : A Fast Track to Parity for the New Member States

One of the solutions proposed by the European Union to remedy the effects of the 2008 economic crisis is to increase female labour participation. This book explores the policy changes in four new member states that may reduce the gender employment gap and improve women's equal participation in the labour force. This book examines the role that the European Union (EU) has played in enhancing democratic values in new member states by requiring the adoption of gender equality laws, such as equal employment and reconciliation policies, in return for membership. Considering four EU member states in Central Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia and Poland - it debates if and under what conditions the incentives for EU membership positively affected the successful adoption and implementation of gender equality policies. The book looks at the role of formal and informal domestic institutions to understand successful alliances in each case study, and considers the dynamic relationship between domestic and international actors in the context of global governance. Engaging with the study of public policy, this book discusses how the EU is capable of successful promotion of human rights and democratic values in general and provides insight on how any supranational organization can establish effective incentive structures to produce desired outcomes Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction: Gender Equality Policy in the European Union....Pages 1-18 Adoption and Implementation of Equal Employment Policies in Four Countries....Pages 19-43 Beyond Employment: Addressing the Private and Public Divide through Reconciliation Policies....Pages 44-64 The Role of Formal and Informal Institutions in the Policy Process....Pages 65-85 Modernization and Cultural Explanations with a Strong Dose of Communist Legacy....Pages 86-113 Actors, Norms and Institutions: The Necessary Ingredients for a Successful Policy Model....Pages 114-133 Conclusion....Pages 134-142 Back Matter....Pages 143-198