Lifelong economic impacts of maternity

Lifelong economic impacts of maternity

Lifelong economic impacts of motherhood, their sources and their causes have not been qualified in the Czech Republic. This makes their efficient minimization difficult on both the lives of individuals and on the level of making policy towards equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming. The project aims at combining the economic and sociological analysis that will focus on three stages of women’s lives connected with maternity and its economic impacts (the period before maternity leave and maternity leave, returning to work after maternity leave, and the period of retirement). Analyses of the lifelong economic effects of motherhood will be produced.  Using an already existing set of data along with defined problematic issues and data that will be carried out from the current project, a relevant qualitative examination will be produced. The analysis will contribute to uncover deeper connections between problematic issues and will propose a complex set of measures to their minimization (Department of Sociology, AV ČR). The question of lifelong economic impact of maternity belongs to the key issues in the equal opportunities policy because parenthood is one of the leading factors that influences the divergence of male and female professional paths and has a negative (from economic perspective) impact on the further development in their lives. 

On the basis of analyses and examinations a set of recommendations that will contribute to the change of employment policies in the context of equal opportunities, minimize the negative impacts of motherhood on women and promote gender mainstreaming will be proposed. 

The current project also focuses on better-informed people in decision-making positions. Employers and women-mothers should reflect on the current situation and should not promote (either consciously or unconsciously) gender stereotypes, but rather make an effort to their minimization. Employers at round tables (Business for society) will be motivated on the basis of the set of recommendations for equal opportunities proving their effectiveness and a possibility to embrace fully the potential of women-mothers. Women-mothers will be informed about the impacts of parenthood on their life and professional paths on various workshops and seminars. They will be provided role models how to minimize negative impacts of motherhood (video manuals) which will lead to better informed long-term and short-term decision making in families and improving the work-life balance. The project will also support the cooperation between NGO’s and academic institutions. 

Project Promoter: Gender Studies, o.p.s.

Project Partners: CERGE EI, Department of Sociology, Academy of Science, Business for Society, NHH Norwegian School of Economics

Project Duration: 1. 9. 2014 – 30. 4. 2016

Project Coordinator: Lada Wichterlová

„The Project is being supported by the Open Society Fund Prague from the Let’s Give (Wo)men a Chance programme, financed from Norway Grants. With Norway Grants, Norway contributes towards a reduction in economic and social disparity and the strengthening of mutual cooperation in Europe. It promotes, above all else, environmental protection, research and scholarships, civil society development, health care, children, gender equality and an improvement in the efficiency of justice. The Let’s Give Women a Chance programme promotes equal opportunities for women and men both in their work and personal lives as well as prevention and help for victims of domestic and gender-based violence in the Czech Republic. It is operated by the Open Society Fund Prague, which has been developing values of open society and democracy in the Czech Republic since 1992.“