Who should care for the elderly and children? Are immigrants a problem or the solution?

26/01/2015

Providing care for children, elderly or for any dependent member of the family is a growing concern in rapidly ageing Europe. 

Government policies and practices vary a lot across Europe regarding the sharing of responsibility between the individual and the state, with important implications for gender equality. The migration of care workers further complicates the picture of formal and informal care and poses new challenges both for the sending and receiving countries. 

The workshop held by the Centre for Policy Studies at the Central European University on 26 January brought together Hungarian and international scholars and analysts of various scientific background. The discussions confirmed the need for and worth of interdisciplinary cooperation concerning the research on the intersections of care, migration and gender equality. 

Adrienn Győry, junior analyst of the Budapest Institute presented a comparative analysis of Czech, Hungarian and Polish electoral programmes with special emphasis on proposals concerning the care policy measures intended for families with children under three years. The aim our study is to assess the perception of political parties of the relevance of care policies as well as their attitudes towards the families and care arrangements with a specific focus on gender roles and the desired development in this specific policy field.