Reconciliation of work and family life

MMM advocates the free choice of mothers and families to opt, at certain moments of their lives, to give priority to their family responsibilities and increase family presence.

Essential for mothers – and for fathers, this free choice is conditioned by the existence of policies to reconcile family life and professional life, which must include, among other things:

Child-birth related leave (maternity, paternity, parental leave).
Specific leave to deal with situations where assistance and care for relatives are needed.
A sufficient level of remuneration for these different types of leave.
The development of a diversified offer of childcare infrastructure and services.
The generalisation of flexibility in the world of work, not only for women but also for men.

The reconciliation of family and professional life, while being particularly debated at the European level, is an issue for all mothers, whatever their socio-economic and cultural context.

Recent news on the reconciliation of work and family life

Care is a collective responsibility

13.07.22

UN New York - Our virtual #HLPF event, which took place on the margins of the annual UN conference that assesses progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, saw expert speakers discuss why #SharingTheCare at

In this together: Share the Care, Transform Tomorrow

02.07.22

UN New York, HLPF - Join us on July 11th for a discussion on how #SharingTheCare at every level - family, community, governments and private sector - is vital for gender equality and the wellbeing of all. Our v

Unpaid care work and motherhood: MMM calls on ILO to change employment approach

30.05.22

International Labour conference, Geneva – To redress the economic injustice suffered by many mothers as a result of their caring responsibilities, MMM has called for a new approach to employment: a human-cent

MMM contributes to EU Care Strategy

18.05.22

In these unprecedented times, when Europe is navigating a global pandemic, when political tensions are boiling over threatening to destabilize the global order, it is vital to reflect on the people who hold the

An integrated approach to childcare services from a children’s rights perspective

10.05.22

The European Commission (EC) has announced its new plan to develop a European Care Strategy expected to strengthen long-term care and early childhood education and care, as envisaged under the European pillar o

An almost Perfect Mother – New Podcast series with Isabelle Roskam

26.04.22

We are delighted to be launching our new podcast series An almost Perfect Mother featuring Isabelle Roskam, professor of development and parenting psychology at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Isabelle spec