Multinationals have global reach in their search for profits; women, even more than men, are confined to their immediate community in their search for jobs. This book examines the interaction between multinationals and women in UK, Ireland, France and Germany, looking at inward investment by US and Japanese multinationals, as well as outward investment by European multinationals.

With an aging population and declining productivity growth, Europe faces serious challenges to raising its output growth. Adding to these challenges are the various gender gaps in the labor market. Despite significant progress in recent decades, there are still fewer women than men participating in Europe’s labor market, and women are more likely to work part time. Furthermore, a smaller share of women reaches the top rungs of the corporate ladder. Could greater gender equality in the labor market help mitigate the slowdown in Europe’s growth potential? Against this backdrop, this paper investigates the drivers of female labor force participation in Europe as well as what effects greater gender diversity in senior corporate positions might have for Europe’s economic performance. Reexamining the factors driving women’s labor force participation is particularly important because in many European countries the process of closing the gender gap has stalled despite greater gender equality in human capital investment, declining birth rates, changing social norms, and equal legal access to employment opportunities. Investigating whether firm performance could be improved if women held a greater share of senior positions is also essential given that the empirical evidence from past research into this question has been inconclusive.

Social changes including an increase in dual-earner families, declining fertility, and growing problems of work-life 'balance' are underway as more women, particularly mothers, enter and remain in paid employment. The authors explore this in a number of European countries (Britain, France, The Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Portugal).

Female labor force participation has increased markedly in many European countries during the past decades. Nonetheless, participation rates remain low in some economies, and a significant gender gap persists in most countries. Using micro-level data to control for factors that influence personal choice, we re-examine the determinants of female employment in Europe. The results highlight the importance of positive attitudes towards women working and individual characteristics such as years of education and number of children. However, even after controlling for these factors, policies are also key drivers of female employment.

These are just some of the questions this controverisal book asks in its analysis of the European labour markets. By bringing together contributions from all over Europe, Women, Work and the Family in Europe outlines the similarities and differences between countries in terms of the problems of reconciling work and family. In doing so it questions the division of labour, not just in the labour market but also in the home, reviewing, for example, fatherhood and the effect of work commitments on men's time spent with their families. Contributions range from a study of family policies to the care of the elderly; from home working to gender roles, motherhood and class. Clearly written, systematic and comprehensive, this book reflects the growing interest in the European context and will appeal to students of social policy and European studies as well as all those involved in women's studies and sociology. Ruth Emerek, University of Aalborg, Denmark, Susan Mc Rae, Oxford Brookes University, Yvonne Hirdman, Sweden, Eileen Drew and Evelyn Mahon, both at Trinity College,

Women of the European Union challenges gender-blind assessments of the economic and social aspects of the European Union policies to examine the real implications of Union for the diversity of women in the Member States. The authors also analyze how women's work and daily lives are shaped by local and national policies, by local and global economic conditions, and by diverse and changing cultural values. Detailed contemporary case studies explore how place comes together with class, life stage, sexuality and ethnicity to affect the way in which women are constrained and how they develop strategies to manage their lives.

This report presents selected papers from the proceedings of the World Bank conference "Making the Transition Work for Women in Europe and Central Asia, " held on June 7-8, 1999 in Washington D.C. The papers cover law, employment, pension reforms, reproductive health, and violence. These conference papers reinforce the findings of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) report but also provide insight into the unique conditions prevailing in individual countries. A consensus emerged during the proceedings that the transition is taking place without the input of women, whos are consequently suffering from the change. Cumulatively, they paint a picture that reveals a number of trends: a) Despite their cultural and historical differences, the countries of the region are facing similar problems as a result of the transition they are each going through. It is unclear if this is because of the collapse of the common socialist system that they are shared, because of their use of the same market economy model, or both. b) In all countries, women are facing new barriers to entry into the labor market. They are also facing widespread sexual harassment and violence. c) In all countries, a revival of traditional gender roles has taken place, affecting women in all spheres of life but especially in their participation in politics.

In order to illustrate cross-country variations in mothers' work and care arrangements in Europe, this book fuses a comparative approach towards welfare systems and social policies with an analysis of mothers' social practices in several European countries. The book demonstrates that across Europe, women increasingly retain their jobs after having children but that there are, however, striking differences in labor market participation of women both between and within European countries.