European Parliament lawmakers have approved a set of recommendations urging EU countries to do more to close the “gender care gap” and improve support for both professional and unpaid carers.
The report was adopted in a plenary vote by 263 to 83, with 154 abstentions, according to the European Parliament's statement released on Thursday.
MEPs said access to care is a fundamental right and called on member states to address gender inequality across all forms of care.
The recommendations include a shift towards more home and community-based services, as well as “sustainable funding” for care in response to demographic change.
The Parliament also called for a “European carers’ statute” to recognise care work and set minimum standards across the EU.
Informal carers — people who provide unpaid care to relatives or others — should be recognised in social security systems and pension schemes.
Calls for men to take a greater share of care duties
Care responsibilities should not fall disproportionately on women, MEPs said.
The Parliament backed measures including parental leave and flexible work arrangements, and called for awareness campaigns encouraging men to take an equal share of caregiving.
The report also addressed the care workforce, noting the sector includes both EU and non-EU workers.
MEPs said recruitment of non-EU workers should take place through legal migration channels, alongside investment in training and integration, and condemned undeclared work, exploitation and precarious employment.
The European Commission has said it will present a European “care deal” in 2027, a plan welcomed by MEPs.
There are 6.2 million formal carers and 53 million informal carers in the EU, said Eleonora Meleti, the Parliament’s rapporteur for the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.
Women spend 17 hours a week more than men on unpaid care work, said Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, rapporteur for the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee.
Care work is often carried out predominantly by women — 56% of women with children under 12 spend at least five hours a day on childcare, compared with 26% of men — according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.
