R Y Women are at the centre of change in employment, inside the family and within society. Describing the new status of women in European society, therefore, demands a new approach that values the extensive economic and social contributions of women to economic growth and democracy in Europe. This study takes some traditional assumptions and views about women at work, inside their families, and society, and examines how women themselves view their changing role and the need to set new priorities in their lives. They view themselves as the centre of family life, whether they work in paid employment or inside the home. For women, both family and work are essential and they would not give up either.
Women prefer to work outside the home.
One in five would opt for voluntary work. Women desire greater flexibility at work. Along with European men, European women expressed a desire for shorter working hours. Women especially bemoan the lack of time available for their families, which is why part-time work seems ideal for a majority of them. There is no desire, however, to return to being full-time homemakers.