Evaluation Gender Policy in Romania: The Balance between Professional and Family Life Academic research paper on "Economics and business"

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Procedia Economics and Finance 22 (2015) 836 - 845

2nd International Conference 'Economic Scientific Research - Theoretical, Empirical and Practical Approaches', ESPERA 2014, 13-14 November 2014, Bucharest, Romania

Evaluation gender policy in Romania: the balance between professional and family life

Elena Zamfira*

aResearch Institute for Quality of Life, Romanian Academy, No 13 Calea 13 Septembrie, Bucharest, District 5, 050711, Romania

Abstract

The paper will be focus on a general evaluation of the institutional and legal framework of gender equality in Romania focused on woman employment policies taking into account the harmonization between the woman professional life with the private/family one. In this respect, one of the most important /main issues of the women employment policy in Romania is closed related to the child care facilities /services.

In Romania the public system of child care services is still underdeveloped, whereas the private one is randomly developed (E Zamfir & Zamfir, C 1996, Marginean, I and Cojocaru, S- coord. 2006, Zamfir, E 2009,). They tend to exclude the people that are living in the rural area and also in extreme risk of poverty or very isolated and poor areas (as gipsy communities) (Zamfir, E and Zamfir,C 1993, E Zamfir 2012).

Besides, there is an inefficient way of evaluation and monitoring of both, the results of the child care facilities and women employment policies, too (Zamfir,E and Zamfir, C, 2000, Zamfir, E 2010-3)). For this reason, during the last 10 years, the concrete achievements in improving child care services related to women professional life are less visible at the implementation level. There is, however, a lack of pragmatic solutions to transform the objectives and the directions of action into concrete measures which could assure the real changes in daily women life. In fact, good intentions must be supported by efficient practical means/instruments, by constant monitoring and evaluation process of the adopted solutions. In spite of fact that the issues of harmonizing work/professional , private and family life within the current gender policy are characterized by adopted an adequate legal , modern framework- as a good policy initiative, the status of this policy initiatives remains much more at the announced stage and enacted levels( Zamfir, E.2010- 1). Very few initiatives have been implemented or evaluated in time. The process of monitoring and evaluating the actions in this frame of gender policy is still underdeveloped. The gender Policy in Romania follows very contradictory and sinuous trends: increase in women economic participation, increase in professional status but, also still remain signs of degradation in the private/family life. On the one hand, in some period of time, in Romania the gender equality policy, under international pressure, became visible at the legal frame and at the structure of institutions, too.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +4021-318-461; fax: +4021-318-24-62. E-mail address: ezamfir1@gmail.com

2212-5671 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.Org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of ESPERA 2014 doi: 10.1016/S2212-5671(15)00319-6

On the other hand the degradation of women private/life is happened due to the lack of economic and financial resources which most affected the quality of social services and moral values for family and child protection.

A partially positive aspect which can be mentioned in Romania, in the last 8 years, refers to development of some special child care facilities under the EU financed social inclusion programs. Some of them were good and stable in establishing a network of social services support facilities for children within the communities which could help significantly to increase the rate of women employment ( Cace, S 2006, Zamfir, E, 2010-2, Stanescu, S Cace, S - coord. 2011). In the same time, the gender employment policies appear as an objective of the reform in all strategic sectors of our Society, being a constant element to eliminate social exclusion and gender marginalization.

At the present the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly, through the Agency of Equal Opportunities between Men and Women and Equal Opportunities, is in the process to develop the draft for the National Strategy for Equality between men and women for 2014-2017 with a General Plan of Actions. The project will be promoted by Government Decision, currently being in the process of public consultation.

© 2015TheAuthors. PublishedbyElsevierB.V.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of ESPERA 2014

Keywords: evaluation of gender policies, women professional life, gender employment, child care facilities, evaluation child care, child allowance, parental leave;

1. National Institutions and Legislative framework on gender equality and equal opportunities

The introduction of gender issues on the political agenda and the implementation of the measures for equal opportunities depends, on the one hand ,by the main political actors ,especially that who are in the political power in the Government, Parliament, trade unions, nongovernmental organisations, mass media and public opinion etc.; and , on the other hand of some concrete instruments/mechanisms of the specialized institutions which should ensure the efficient measures/activities for promoting the women's interests.

In Romania, since 1995 the "Department _ for women promotion and _ for _ family policies", have been placed within the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly. Two years later, in 1997 a Sub-commission for equal opportunity have been established within the Romanian Parliament. The first one was suggested by the documents of the Beijing Conference and the second by assuming the model of the European Parliament.

To set up a specialized Department dealing with gender problems within the executive domain was perceived in that time, by all means, as a success, as a new Institution which was coming with the best intentions. However, from the very beginning it was obvious that the department had neither the best position within the government, nor the required instruments of authority. By its position within the MLFSPE, the department had a limited field of action, within the area of responsibility of the ministry, it was a part of. It did not receive the responsibility and authority to coordinate the assembly of social policies regarding the wide range of women-related problems. There are no distinct units which to have similar functions in the other relevant ministries (Ministry of Health, Justice, Education, Police, etc.) together with which this Department could cooperate and develop a global and efficient political strategy. In fact, in time, the capacity of the Department to coordinate all the gender related programs in other ministries/sectors of the executive and to stimulate development of new interdepartmental programs, due to its organizational position, it was very limited.

The Department prepared so far several important drafts of law: In the same time, the Department has been consulted in the process of elaboration of several other laws, contributing with inclusion in these lows of the principle of non-discrimination.

During the time, in the organizational structure process of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, which was adopted by the government, the position of the department seems to rather degrade than improve.

The "Parliamentary sub-commission for equal opportunity" has as target the promotion of gender related regulations within the whole legislation. A special objective is the introduction in the Romanian legislation of the international and European regulations. This sub-commission intended to be in a position to promote a global and articulated legislative policy in the field of equal opportunity. Since its creation, the "Parliamentary subcommission" has had a very active role in promoting and supporting gender related legal regulation in accordance with the international standards.

Within the Ombudsman institution, since 1998, a new department has been set up, dealing with women and family problems.

In April 2005 was established the National Agency for Equal Opportunities between men and women. This Agency formed by central and local public administration representatives and partners with responsibilities in this field, again was subordinated to the MLFSPE.

In terms of policy on reconciliation between professional and family life, Law no.202/2002, regulating the equal

opportunities for all, points out the measures to promote equal treatment for men and women in all areas of public life. We found some specific regulations closely related to the women private, family and work life. This law was republished twice with amendments. The regulatory legal framework in this regard has been constantly updated. This principle is enacted by the framework Law no.202/2002, following article II of the Government Emergency Ordinance no.83/December 2012 for amending the Law no.202/2002 on equal opportunities and equal treatment between men and women, approved with amendments by Law no.115/April 2013, and republished in June 2013. The law defines terms such as: equal treatment between men and women, discrimination on grounds of gender, direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment, equal pay for equal work, positive/affirmative actions, and a peculiar number of forms of discrimination. Also, the law has different chapters presenting the measures for ensuring equal opportunity and equal treatment between men and women on the labour market, the women participation to the decision-making process, education, elimination of roles and gender stereotypes. This law, giving a new numbering to the texts, contains the following changes and amendments: the integration within the law's text of some provisions on the new "acquis communitaire", in particular from the Directive 2010/41/EU of the European Parliament and Council regarding the application of the principle on equal treatment between men and women engaged in an independent activity and repealing the Directive 86/613/EEC.

The Law on Equal Opportunities is a modern expression of the non-discriminatory principles within the Romanian legislation. It can have an ethical character of the male-female relationship in all fields of social life, particularly in the labour field (2005 Joint Assessment Paper). Although formally the content of this law is addressed to administration and social partners, it creates moral and political obligations for both public and private structures.

2. The role of academic field in assessing gender policy in Romania

In Romania, many research activities have been started from the historical premises for gender equality analysing the process of woman emancipation as a part of the modernization process of the Romanian society ( Zamfir, E and Zamfir, C. 2000, Zamfir E, 2010 -1). The gender issues on social policy were related to the factors promoting engendering political agenda, women education and women on the labour market, state mechanisms as institutional frame for women promotion, the national legislation for equal opportunities, the role of civil society in raising the awareness for harmonizing professional women life with the family and private life, the services of violence prevention and treatment of the effects of violence, the equal opportunities for women in searching their identity, the economic autonomy etc.

The most important of gender policy issues are related to women labour force participation, In many empirical and theoretical researches which underline the role of child support social services for poor families and for women at risk (e.g.roma population) the gender policies are much more visible. In fact, within poor and marginalized communities, women policy education and employment are very relevant for their family life satisfaction. For instance, roma women are usually perceived as an ethnic population with a low social status characterized by extended family type with a high birth rate, a great preponderance of children and teenagers aged, non-legalised marriages with marriages at early age (under 16-17 years old). So, they become mothers very early. All these facts are the real barriers for gypsy women concerning their education and professional carriers. Structered and systematic information on low levels of school participation of girls / school abandonment according to gender is missing in statistical official data. Instead, many research studies and surveys data indicate a high proportion of young girls that abandon school especially in the Roma population and very poor comunities.

In Romania, many surveys and theoretical papers in social sciences have been systematically studding the social policies of Government during the communist regime and during the transition (Zamfir C and Zamfir, E (coord) 1995 and 1996, Cace, S, 2006, Marginean, I, Cojocaru, § (Coord.), 2006,Onica-Chipea,L, 2007, Popescu, R, 2009., Zamfir,C (coord) 2011), but a good deal of information is now available about the way social policies are formulated and especially how these policies are implemented through the social services, cash benefits, legal regulations, the tax system, and the courts. The researchers have also traced and evaluated the dynamics of gender policy. They have been studied the parties' ideologies that influence social policy decision makers, and assessed the impact of social policy in daily life of women. They pointed out how the state can and should promote and maintain the well-being of citizens (Zamfir, C(coord) 2001,2006,2011).

The academic and research field is the most active in demonstrating with strong arguments the necessity of promoting anti-discriminatory gender policies (social reports, papers, studies, books).

In spite of fact we have in Romania an update and a good legislative frame, the laws themselves cannot assure a normal context for equal opportunties if the specific/particular institutions focuse on gender - with punctual specific provisions and its mechanisms of changes/improvement the family life are missing. More than this, an exaggerated accent at the legislative level can lead to the false impression that all that is needed is to wait for the law effects, without being necessary to undertake something else more. In spite of this, there are some sthrong points in our legislation focuses on gender opportunities. For instance:

• the present legal framework updated which filling in some legislative gaps, especially of those, which became obvious following the social and economic changes in time;

• fast ratification of international conventions and EU Documents related to gender equality

• special efforts for harmonizing the Romanian legislation with the European one (with few exceptions there is, however, a long process of harmonization in details)

In fact, the process of joining the Council of Europe, finalized in 1993, was an important stimulus here. The wish of Romania to be admitted into the European Union and NATO amplified this orientation.

As a matter of fact, given the complexity of discrimination between men and women, many proposals for pragmatically solutions are coming from the academic research area and have an extra-juridical nature. These solutions have been target on community attitude and consciousness, the development of mechanisms based on partnership, the elimination of old stereotypes within the family related to the role of parteners in , the establishment of cultural patterns based on non-discrimination, sensitive to the gender problems, etc.

Anywhere the researchers and professionals in the field have been aware about their responsibilities to contribute in many ways to the reform of social policy related to gender opportunities.

Most of the existing academic research studies and the equality speeches of the NGOs have presented direct or indirect discrimination between women and men at the work place or at home as being an inefficient gender policy for the promotion of equal opportunities( E Zamfir, 2005,2009, Cace S, 2010).

3. Women on the labour market

If we consider the activity rate by gender since 2009, we may observe a slight tendency of increase a little bit more pronounced in men. There is a difference between men and women, however smaller than in most European countries (in 2009, men 70.9%, women 55.4%; in 2012, men 72.1%, women 56.4%).

The figures for employment rate by gender were as following: 65.2% (men, 2009), 52% (women, 2009), 66.5% (men, 2012), 52.6% (women, 2012) according to NIS, Amigo source. Here there is a slight increase over the past four years approximately equal for both women and men. In 2011, the proportion of men within the employed population is higher, 54.8% comparing to 45.2% for women, but with a decrease of about 4%. There is a growing trend in the evolution of men's employment rate and a slight decline in the case of women when we consider the 2544 age groups of mothers who must return to the labor market. One can explain this as the involvement of women in raising the child and her inability to return to the labor market.

The differences between employment rates in 2012 comparing with 2002 shows a similar situation even if this comparison reveals 0.8 % gain in favour of male population while there is a decrease with 1.2% in the case of female population (fig. 1).

56,8 56,9

51,3 51 n „ , 51 0 51,3 51,4 cn -t 50 8

'_5^,n 50,4 50,2 51,0 50,7 50,8 50,3

44,6 44,5 43,9 44,9 44,9 44,6 43,9 43,8 43,7 44,0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total Males ^"Females

Fig. 1 Employment rate by gender - % -

Data source: NIS Tempo database, AMIGO survey

There are no significant differences looking at employment and unemployment rates by age groups. This is the reason for which we analysed only the age groups in 2012. A high value of employment rate is recorded in the case of 30-54 age groups. The highest level of males' employment rate is 86.1% for 35 - 39 age groups. 71.8% is the highest level for females (40-44 age group). The employment rates for both genders go down rapidly in the case of 60+ age group.

Fig. 2 Employment rate by gender and age groups in 2012% -Data source: NIS Tempo database AMIGO survey

We may consider some facts as being relevant for our analysis, when looking at the figures of registered unemployed people. The number of unemployed women is lower comparing with the number of unemployed men. In 2012, the percentage of unemployed women represented 42.7% within the registered unemployment people. The proportion of unemployed women is much lower among those with low education (primary, middle, technical education: 37.7% in this category), but it increases along with those with educational preparation high school and post-secondary education (51.8 %), graduate education (62.2%). In conclusion the women having a lower level of education and/or lower professional level find jobs more easily than men. The women with higher level of education and/or with higher professional levels can find jobs with more difficulty. This might reveal the propensity of hiring men in highly skilled or managerial/qualified positions. The percentage of women in top management positions in politics, public administration, and scientific institutions is much lower than men's even if women as well as men have the same higher level of education. The women's unemployment decreased as follows: there were 302 thousands unemployed women in 2009, this figure decreasing to 264 thousands in 2010, 204 thousands in 2011 and 211 thousands in 2012. (Zamfir, E, 2013).

The unemployment rate records its maximum level at 8.4% in 2002. The figure of unemployed rate grew again in 2004 and came down continuously until 2008. (The unemployment rate started to grow and the tendency was maintained until 2012 when it came down again. There are no major differences looking to the dynamics of unemployment rate from gender perspective. It is that obsolete mentality that women tend to neglect their carrier, staying at home for growing up their children and being involved only in the domestic activities (fig.2).

The analysis of occupation according to women's wage employment appears to be rather superficial and the conclusions possibly misleading due to the definition of occupation.

There are no clear statistics on women's wage employment, very important from all perspectives. In the category of occupied women, economic, rather marginal, with low income (workers in domestic activities, agricultural workers, etc.) activities could be included.

There are no explicitly the references to the relationship between work and private family life of women offered by the statically official data. Much more the research data show the deficit of services in this area, severely and to a massive scale, affects women (small number of nurseries and kindergartens, high costs of kindergartens, the lack of modern kitchen equipment, large numbers of days for maternal leave - it is still highly unusual to use paternal leave,..

Balanced participation of women and men to the decision-making process is another fundamental principle assumed by Romania through the laws into force and also through the elaborated programs. This way, statistical analyses were developed on "The situation of women and men in decision-making positions in the central government" and the reports from 2011 - 2013 which were communicated to the European Commission to update its database annually on gender balance in decisional positions within the central government, and also the comparative analysis 2011 - 2012 about Romania's position in the centralized database of the European Commission. Now, they

are all published on the official website of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly. 4. Forms of supporting women family and professional life

4.1 Maternity leave

Maternity leave has two options:

First, maternity leave is oriented to care for the infant up to the age of one, and a monthly allowance. This allowance is set to 75% of the average incomes over the past 12 months and cannot be lower than 600 lei, or higher than 3400 lei. Secondly, maternity leave to care for the infant up to the age of two, and a monthly allowance. In this case, the monthly allowance is set to 75% of the average incomes over the past 12 months and cannot be lower than 600 lei, or higher than 1200 lei.

The option of the beneficiary for one of the two types of maternal leave mentioned at a) and b) is expressed in written form, on the basis of an application, and cannot be changed during the time of implementation.

After the child turns one, except for the children with disabilities, the people who decided to take maternal leave up to the age of one and the monthly allowance, can take unpaid leave to care for the infant up to the age of 2.

The people who, during the time that they are entitled to benefit of the maternal leave up to the age of one and of the monthly allowance, obtain taxable incomes, before the child turns one, have the right to a motivator for professional insertion amounting to 500 lei monthly, until the child turns 2. The people, who decided for the maternal leave up to the age of 2, don't benefit of this motivator for professional insertion.

The people, who benefit of the monthly allowance to care for the infant up to the age of one, and apply for the motivator for professional insertion, will no longer receive the monthly allowance.

Leave and Childcare allowance - these are regulated as optional measures available to parents for childcare aged up to 1 year, 2 years or 3 years for a child with disability. Also, during the leave and another 6 months after returning to work, the parent's job is protected, and the employer does not have the permission of laying him off. The program addresses those who in the last year before the birth of the child realized taxable income for 12 months.

4.2 The paternal leave

It is regulated by the Law of paternal leave 2010/1999 and by Decision 244/10 April 2000, with the subsequent changes and completions. Started with 2001, there have been many discussions about the involvement of men in promoting gender equality as an area of intervention within the European policies in the field; in this regard, the goal was included in the Roadmap of the European Commission on equality between men and women for 2006-2010.

The strategic document aims to implement measures to increase the awareness on the significance and importance of involving men in promoting equality between men and women. Given the importance of supporting families with children, Romania, within family policies, chose to diversify the programs dedicated to them (Popescu, R-2009)

Currently there are a number of such programs, in the responsibility of different actors. In summary, these are: Paternity leave - fathers are being given a period of 5 working days in the first 8 weeks after the child's birth. In this period, if the father is insured, he receives an allowance equal to the corresponding wage for that period of time.

As a result of the public budget difficulties, child care facilities for early education have become, in a more extent meaning, only the family's responsibility. This was for sure an aggravating factor for dramatically diminishing the mothers' chances for participation in the labour market. Also, it is a big challenge for low income families to survive with one wage/salary.

A measure taken by the government for improving the childcare conditions was raising the benefit of parental leave and child allowances.*

From 2012 the amount of the state allocation for children is related to the social indicator of reference (ISR) with a value of 500 lei established by law.*

^ According to the provisions of Law no.174/10 October 2008, corroborated with Decision no.1662/December 10, 2008, with OUG no.111/December 8, 2010, with Decision no.52/19 January 2011, with OUG no.124/2011, allowance for children - targeting all children aged up to 18 years and also young people aged over 18 years, until the completion of high-school or vocational education organized under the law. The Law no.61/1993 referring to the state allocation points out that the state allocation for children was established as a universal protection for all children, without discrimination, Romanian citizens, foreign citizens or stateless people living in Romania.

* For children aged 2 or less (3 years old for the children with disabilities) the state allocation amount is of 0.4 ISR, i.e. 200 lei, granted on a monthly basis. For children aged 2 to 18, the state allocation is 0.084 ISR, i.e. 42 lei monthly. For children with disabilities aged 3 to 18 years, the state allocation is 0.084 ISR, i.e. 84 lei monthly.

For children up to the age of 2 (3 in case of the children with disabilities) the state allocation is cumulated with the monthly benefit or with the motivator for professional insertion, granted according to the acting legislation.§ Programs for children in the educational process offer:

- "bread stick and milk", fruits,

- writing materials,

- social grants,

- scholarships,

- merit scholarships.

Currently, the Ministry of National Education implements programs for developing the network of nurseries and kindergartens for early education and after-schools.

It is a timid trend for nursery vouchers, value vouchers provided by employers to employees who do not benefit of leave or childcare allowance.

In fact, men and women continue to play different roles within the family framework. There is no information regarding the distribution of family responsibilities to allow the continuous evaluation of this phenomenon. Even though Romanian legislation encourages the equal distribution of family responsibilities between men and women regarding the raising of children, by providing remunerated holiday leave to both parents, still the involvement of fathers remains low. Men are also less involved in household activities, on average spending about 6 less hours weekly than women. Empirical Research data shows: there still is a cultural gap related to the family tasks distribution between men and women (depending on the circumstances, fair distribution versus traditional pattern) (Zamfir,E 2003, 2009-2).

4.3 Care of disabled family members

For children with disabilities, the parent who meets the eligibility conditions prescribed by law** will benefit of childcare leave until the child reaches the age of 3, and the related allowance will be paid in the amount of 85% of the average net revenue achieved in the last 12 months. That can't be less than 600 lei and no more than 3400 lei. For a child with disability, the incentive/stimulus is granted at any time up until the child reaches the age of 3.

4.4 Flexible working time

The most common arrangement used by families with two parents but without the support of a grandparent is to work different shifts in order to have full coverage of childcare.

Working from home is a less-used method for employees but is something natural for self-employed and freelance workers. There are cases in which a parent (usually the mother) interrupts the employment activity and starts self-employed or freelance activity to give them the chance to provide childcare. (Zamfir,E, 2010-3)

Flexible working hours for parents are applying within the national legislation and the provisions have been contained in the Labour Code (Law no.53/2002) with modernization and updating it in 2007, and in 2011 in order to assure a greater flexibility of the labour market and Law no.188/1999 on the status of public servant.

Flexible working time point out in The "National Reform Program, Implementation Report - October 2007" stipulates as a main objective for flexibility and security on the labour market that: "an integrated analysis of the corresponding balance between flexibility and security cover a wide range of problems, such as: company adaptability, social protection, internal and external dimensions of flexibility and security, long-term education and vocational training, the role of social dialogue, etc" (p.77).

Also according to the provisions of OUG 93/2003 and Decision 537/2007, regarding the protection of maternity

§ The process of reviewing and streamlining the program of monthly benefit for child care or the monthly motivator for professional insertion took into consideration the period of granting these aids and the financing principles from other EU member states which grant similar benefits. In accordance with EU recommendations, guideline no.6 of the NAP Employment 2004-2005 stipulates that special attention will be paid to the reconciliation of the two aspects of live, professional and family, mainly by providing child care services and for other dependent persons, encouraging the division of the professional and family responsibilities and facilitating re-employment after the maternity leave. The beneficiaries of the allowance for child care or of the monthly motivator/stimulus for professional insertion are people who, during the last year before the birth of the child, obtained incomes from wage, from independent activities, from agricultural activities, which were levied, according to the provisions of Law no.571/2003, concerning the Fiscal code, as taxable incomes.

** Law no.448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights for people with disabilities, with amendments and completions in 2011 for family members with disabilities

at labour, the pregnant women who, due to health reasons, their health, or the health of their progeny, cannot work full 8 hours, had the right to fewer working hours, by one quarter, while maintaining full payment, from the wage fund of the employer, according to the legal provisions concerning the public system of pensions and other social insurance rights.

The employers are compelled to allow two breaks, one hour each, for the women breast feeding their infants up to the age of one. These breaks include the time necessary to go and return from the place where the infant is.

Upon requirement of the mother, these breaks for breast feeding can be replaced by reducing the working time by two hours daily.

The breaks for breast feeding and the shorter working hours, on grounds of breast feeding, are included in the working time and do not decrease the wage of the employees, which is paid entirely from the wage fund of the employer.

5. The impact of economic and social crisis on women labour participation

The package of anti-crisis measures didn't contain explicitly prevention programmes for gender inequality in the labour market in a very efficient pragmatic manner. Any economic process should also be seen in terms of preventing social degradation and widening gender inequality The impact crisis factors have been seen in:

• Regression on both, social equality policy and in political priorities, measures for women too (lack of explicitly formulated objectives and pragmatic solutions on reconciliation on work, private and family life on the labor market and family policy),

• A rapid decrease in job opportunities together with an increase in the unemployment rate,

• Worsening in some working conditions, especially for pregnant women,

• The low salaries available for jobs, especially in sectors dominated by women (textiles, confections, education, health, social services),

• The worsening of human relations at the working place, especially in private small enterprises in which trade-union control or other types of controls are very low,

• New types of abuse, especially women related with many jobs in the underground/grey economy, which have very low labor protection,

• The rapid erosion of institutional support for employed women, especially for women with small and young children,

• The services for house/home activities are by far underdeveloped,

• The underdeveloped social support/facilities for women in growing up the children and working time at home.

Many research data argue since 2007/2008 (reports, survey on facilities for children, employment policy, family income etc.) for clearly introducing, in the context of the social and economic crisis, the necessity of promoting efficient policies of stabilisation and development of active measures in the labour market for women and vulnerable groups. (Stanescu,S. Cace,S, 2009). Thus it could prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of the economic recovery during the time crisis. A special attention should be paid in the frame of European programs for developing social services for women reinsertion in the labour market (Plantenga, J and C. Remery 2005).

Special Programmes should be supported for increasing first, the Institutional capacity power focuses on gender equal opportunities, and secondly, for development the efficient gender specific policies. In such way as will be possible to increase women participation to the decision process in all social domains.

6. Proposals and recommendations

In Romania the lack of a national consensus on the social policy focuses on labour market for women and child care services affects adversely the coherence even the entire system of social work. This leads to the inexistence of a logical framework, properly articulated to the options and initial decisions of the multiple factors of decision and the emergence of unwanted fluctuations within the objectives and measures of the social programs. The solutions to the social problems are often urged by the pressures of the socially active groups - the street voices, which causes the social protection to have a narrow, short-time perspective. There is no overall vision, systematically oriented towards solving the necessities through a long-term, sustainable program of social reform. Hence, complementary to the practical activity of implementing patterns of good practices for the family and child in Romania, the orientation of the social policies might/should take into consideration the following directions:

• Enhance the role of the state in the social protection of those groups most seriously affected by the changes inflicted by the economic changes of the transition,

• Promotion of an active job creation policy correlated with the gender policies,

• Start social programs (public work) to support and develop the community and family. Lately, particularly after 1990, the non-governmental organisations play an important role in the development and promotion of such services within the community,

• Analysis of the system of childcare services within the wider context of social protection with the involvement of all key actors,

• Correct identification of all the new social problems produced by the socio-economic changes specific to the periods of austerity,

• Encourage the applicative research for action/change in the field of the family and child protection.

• Raising the awareness to improve the quality of life by the active participation into the development of a stable balance between the professional life and the family life,

• Development of specialised mechanisms for recovery and prevention according to the distinct types of needs,

• Control the process of fragmentation by outsourcing of the social services of care and social work provided by the public institutions because of the lack of specialists or funds,

The clear determination of the objectives and directions of action within the system of the social policies starting from the inner analysis of the needs, will only yield more efficient medium and long-term measures of support for the family and child, thus ensuring their success and sustainability.(Zamfir, E 2009-2,Zamfir,E, 2003).

As a conclusion I can underline that the issues of harmonizing work, private and family life within the current gender policy is characterized by adopted an adequate and modern legal framework- establishment of development objectives, indicating the direction of actions as policy initiative. But the status of these policy initiatives is much more at the announced stage and enacted levels and very few have been implemented or evaluated as concrete changes of women daily life. The process of monitoring and evaluating the actions plan to implement the gender strategy in reforming life conditions for women in Romania are still underdeveloped.

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