Abstract

It seems that Germany is just at the beginning of creating a system that takes into account all interests and needs of women, families and children but still has a long way to go. France, in contrast, has a long history of family friendly environments, full-time working mothers and nationwide childcare facilities. The French model of family policy is often praised because it allows women a fast re-entry to the labour market after the birth of a child - usually full-time. Nevertheless, a slight change towards more traditional gender roles is observable recently. In the last three years, the number of births has fallen, in 2017 it decreased again. More and more mothers complain that companies offer too rigid working conditions and demand more presence than efficiency. Too often, women feel the pressure to behave as if nothing had happened after giving birth. The number of mothers, who want more flexibility or part-time jobs is rising, however, there are only a few offers. Part-time jobs are rare in France and are considered as a career killer. The developments of the last years suggest that the French and German models are converging. However, a comparison of mothers’ labour market behaviour and careers in both countries with respect to (changing) family policies has not been studied so far. Addressing this research gap is the aim of this Project.