Social Citizenship, Work and Care — Social Differentiation among Women in an EU- Context

In order to understand differences among EU-countries in women’s access to paid work and their economic independency the complex relationship between work, citizenship and welfare provision has to be taken into consideration. The risk of women in losing their labour market position and consequently their independent income when caring for a child or elderly family member is closely connected to their position in the labour market, the type of family structure and the level and type of support for the family provided by the welfare state. And this risk takes different forms depending on how social citizenship is defined and the welfare policies are pursued in the individual welfare states.