Today, in addition to work, female employees take care of their families and households to a much greater extent than men. In this way, they actually do two jobs – one paid and one unpaid. In order to change the situation, fathers need to take more active care of their children, and working parents need working conditions that allow them flexibility, the MAMFORCE Standard said.
According to them, that is why the European Union has adopted a new Directive on the work-life balance for parents and carers, which should be implemented in national legislation by August this year. The directive, among other things, provides for compulsory paternity leave and an equal division of parental leave between father and mother.
Diana Kobas Deskovic, director of Spona Code and founder of MAMFORCE standards, pointed out the importance of introducing these measures on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Women mostly care for family members – parents, children and grandchildren. So they carried a heavier burden in the pandemic as well. Some women in the pandemic could work from home, but many did not. As much as they are under pressure, women do not resign easily, so most of them have managed to keep their jobs, but the pandemic has reduced the opportunities for many women to advance. Discrimination of the second generation is happening, the subtle, invisible one, the one when women are denied opportunities because it is believed that due to their motherly role they will not be dedicated enough to their work – said Diana Kobas Deskovic.
The MAMFORCE standard, which is awarded to companies, organizations and institutions that meet quality standards in relation to employees, enable working parents to balance professional and family obligations and provide employed women with equal career opportunities, celebrates 10 years.
During this period, public awareness of the importance of the active role of women in economic and political decision-making increased, but in order for women to take on this role in the best way, the existing system must be adapted to their social role as mothers.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
Over the last ten years or so, things have been slowly changing in the right direction. More and more companies are nurturing a family-friendly work environment, the balance of business and private life has become an integral part of branding companies as a desirable employer, fathers are increasingly taking parental leave, and women are rising to top management positions.
MAMFORCE helps change within organizations to reduce second-generation discrimination and to attract and retain the best talent regardless of their gender. The certification, which introduces the Mamforce standard, is currently being implemented by Spona Code in Croatia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Italy, but it plans to go beyond Europe in the coming years.
