Labour markets, families and public policies shaping gender relations and parenting: Introduction to the Special Issue

Objective: This article introduces the reader to Special Issue "Labour markets, families and public policies shaping gender relations parenting" gives a theoretical empirical overview of roles equality in Europe. Background: analyses connection between labour families, social policy, several European countries. Method: The six included articles are based on qualitative quantitative approaches data that have been gathered Finland, Norway, Poland, Spain, across entire EU. Results: Key findings are: (1) In less egalitarian countries, children single parents suffer more nutritional, educational life deprivation. (2) institutional design parental leave can contribute reproducing inequality use leave. (3) interacts with cultural norms fatherhood practices migrant fathers. (4) Individualised, performance-based wage career schemes counteract effects gender-equalising family policies. (5) Fathers taking independently from mother for an extended period involved childcare beyond period, (6) longer unpaid by mothers leads unequal distribution parents. Conclusion: highlights even most there remain persistent challenges achieving regarding market, institutions life.