Equality Machineries Matter: The Impact of Women's Political Pressure on European Social-Care Policies

Abstract

This study examines the impact of feminist pressure and European Union (EU) policies on national policy changes, such as the introduction or extension of public childcare provision, parental leave, and part-time work legislation. We compared six countries on the basis of Qualitative Comparative Analysis and found that women's political pressure, especially through national equality machinery, is a prerequisite for the emergence and extension of social-care policies. Sequence analysis showed that national machineries are crucial in translating EU measures into national policies.