EPP Group Press epp-press@europarl.europa.eu à Monchamp

afficher les détails 15:07 (Il y a 37 minutes)

Strasbourg, 25 October 2011 Single Mothers: a group at risk in the EU. Barbara Matera MEP   "Single mothers are a demographic category often neglected. Perceptions and policies towards single mothers vary in different countries in Europe, but I want to emphasise that in my opinion, they cannot be neglected. Today, 5% of the female population of Europe is composed of single mothers, and in some Member States, such as Estonia and Latvia, this percentage rises to 9%", said Barbara Matera MEP, as the European Parliament adopted her Report on the situation of single mothers in the EU. "Single mothers are often falsely stigmatised as irresponsible young girls, while, in reality, 85% are aged between 25 and 64 years. This Report aims at identifying measures for vulnerable women such as single mothers by, for example, giving priority access to childcare centres, temporary housing, or forms of part-time work for a better balance between work and family life", said Barbara Matera MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament. The Report deals with the daily challenges faced by single mothers in the EU. The objective is to analyse the general situation of this specific category of women, and in particular job-related problems of single mothers and their risk of poverty and social exclusion, as well as the difficult balance between family life and professional life. Barbara Matera continued: "It is important to give a voice to single households members and for this reason we have to try to make this task as easy as possible." In several countries in recent years there has been a considerable increase in single parent families at risk of poverty, and most of these parents are represented by women. Barbara Matera insists on the importance of reconciling work and family life and demands that the Institutions make concrete efforts to achieve this objective. In this regard, it is important to promote the development of childcare facilities, economic benefits and more flexible forms of employment that enable single mothers to be more present in their children's' lives. (Translation from the original Italian) For further information:Barbara MATERA MEP, Tel: +33-3-88-175236 Francesco Frapiccini, EPP Group Press and Communications Service, Tel: +32-473-941652