Lost in Transition? Women in Rural and Underserved Communities

Panel Debate: Lost in Transition? Women in Rural and Underserved Communities

Panel debate with Alanna Armitage (UNFPA), Colin Scicluna (Cabinet of the Vice President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography) and Leo van Wissen (NIDI and University of Groningen) about how to create more attractive living conditions and better and innovative job opportunities for women in rural communities.  

On 4 December, Alanna Armitage (UNFPA), Colin Scicluna (Cabinet of the Vice President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography) & Leo van Wissen (NIDI and University of Groningen) discussed what policy measures could help provide more attractive living conditions and better and innovative job opportunities for women in rural communities and what support is needed for women to become a motor for economic growth and sustainable development in rural areas.

Elderly man picking up littter

Active in Retirement

Does post-retirement work constrain engagement in unpaid productive activities?
The transition to retirement has become increasingly diverse: some retirees leave the workforce entirely, while others continue to work. Working during retirement may, however, limit the time and opportunities for unpaid productive activities, such as volunteering, providing informal care, or looking after grandchildren.

The transition to retirement has become increasingly diverse: some retirees leave the workforce entirely, while others continue to work. Olga Grünwald (Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)), Marleen Damman (Radboud University & NIDI), and Kène Henkens (NIDI, UMCG & University of Amsterdam) examined how different retirement processes shape engagement in unpaid productive activities.

Woman getting on train with baby

Less Time Spent Commuting May Also Mean Smaller Wages: How commuting behaviour promotes the motherhood wage penalty

By Thomas Skora, Heiko Rüger & Nico Stawarz (German Federal Institute for Population Research, BiB)
Commuting tends to vary over an individual’s life course: Looking specifically at women entering motherhood, they tend to reduce their commute when transitioning to parenthood. Almost one in three of the mothers surveyed reduced their commuting distance substantially after the birth of the first child, leading to significant wage cuts.

<p>Commuting tends to vary over an individual’s life course: Looking specifically at women entering motherhood, they tend to reduce their commute when transitioning to parenthood. Almost one in three of the mothers surveyed by Thomas Skora, Heiko Rüger & Nico Stawarz (German Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)) reduced their commuting distance substantially after the birth of the first child, leading to significant wage cuts.</p>
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Female-Breadwinner Families on the Breadline

Female-Breadwinner Families on the Breadline

by Agnese Vitali (University of Trento) & Helen Kowalewska (University of Oxford)
A study by Kowalewska and Vitali (2020) suggests it is time for policies to recognise the economic fragility of female-breadwinner couples. The gendered division of paid and unpaid work within couples has transformed across industrialised countries in recent decades. In analysing this change, policymakers and academics have endorsed the ‘social investment’ agenda, promoting a shift from male-breadwinning to ‘dual-breadwinning’ among partners.

<p>A study by Helen Kowalewska (Oxford University) and Agnese Vitali (University of Trento) suggests it is time for policies to recognise the economic fragility of female-breadwinner couples. The gendered division of paid and unpaid work within couples has transformed across industrialised countries in recent decades. In analysing this change, policymakers and academics have endorsed the ‘social investment’ agenda, promoting a shift from male-breadwinning to ‘dual-breadwinning’ among partners.</p>

Fertility in Nordic Countries During and After Economic Recessions

Fertility in Nordic Countries During and After Economic Recessions

The role of the state, crisis management and global perceptions in changes to total fertility rates
Comolli and colleagues investigated the potential influence of economic recessions on total fertility rate in Nordic countries. They looked at the fertility histories and childbearing risk of native-born women in these countries between the late 1980s to mid-2010s.

Comolli (University of Lausanne) and colleagues investigated the potential influence of economic recessions on total fertility rate in Nordic countries. They looked at the fertility histories and childbearing risk of native-born women in these countries between the late 1980s to mid-2010s.

Work-Life Balance in the Second Half of Life

Work-Life Balance in the Second Half of Life

Caring for older parents does not lead to early exit from the labour market
Ariane Bertogg (University of Konstanz), Tiziana Nazio (WZB Berlin Social Science Center & University of Torino) and Susanne Strauß (University of Konstanz) use SHARE data to find that providing regular care to parents or parents-in-law is not associated with a higher likelihood of exiting the labour market.

Ariane Bertogg (University of Konstanz), Tiziana Nazio (WZB Berlin Social Science Center & University of Torino) and Susanne Strauß (University of Konstanz) use data from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and find that providing regular care to parents or parents-in-law is not associated with a higher likelihood of exiting the labour market.

How Do School Closures Affect Student Learning? It’s Worse Than You Think

How Do School Closures Affect Student Learning? It’s Worse Than You Think

By Per Engzell, Arun Frey & Mark Verhagen (Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford)
Per Engzell, Arun Frey & Mark Verhagen of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Oxford University find that during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands, students learned less than during a normal year. These results highlight the costs of keeping students out of schools and of the difficulties in compensating for these costs.

<p>Per Engzell, Arun Frey & Mark Verhagen of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Oxford University find that during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands, students learned less than during a normal year. These results highlight the costs of keeping students out of schools and of the difficulties in compensating for these costs.</p>

Books and Reports: 16th International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2020

16th International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2020

Read the report here
The International Network on Leave Policies and Research produces an annual review of leave policies and related research, covering Maternity, Paternity and Parental leaves; leave to care for sick children and other employment-related measures to support working parents; and early childhood education and care policy.

The International Network on Leave Policies and Research produces an annual review of leave policies and related research, covering Maternity, Paternity and Parental leaves; leave to care for sick children and other employment-related measures to support working parents; and early childhood education and care policy.

Applying a Life Course Perspective to Understand the Effects of COVID-19

Applying a Life Course Perspective to Understand the Effects of COVID-19

What are the big questions for the future?
Settersten Jr., Bernardi, Härkönen & colleagues explain how a life course perspective can make an important contribution to understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, families and populations.

Richard A. Settersten Jr. (Oregon State University), Laura Bernardi (University of Lausanne), Juho Härkönen (European University Institute and Stockholm University) and 15 other colleagues explain how a life course perspective can make an important contribution to understanding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, families and population.

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