Fluctuating conceptions of gender equality in EU law : a conceptual, legal and political analysis of EU policy, law and case law concerning work and care (1980-2020)

Abstract

Gender equality is a complex and debated concept; feminist scholarship and legal philosophy still struggle to define this notion. The EU context is no exception, as within the European project and literature, conceptions of gender equality have fluctuated. Existing literature has only given limited accounts of the different meanings of gender equality and has failed to identify the variables and reasons for this fluctuation in EU policy and case-law. In order to fill this gap, the present thesis takes onboard the challenge to uncover how the meaning of gender equality has shifted in the EU, across time, policy field and institutions. It starts by developing a theoretical frame which distinguishes between the possible aims of gender equality policy and the legal strategies employed by gender equality policy. It then applies this frame to four decades of EU policy regarding work and care, from 1980 to 2020, and questions to which extent these different gender equality conceptions and strategies have served the aim of women’s emancipation, assessing their effect on the gendered division of care and on the provision of social protection. The thesis shows that the main variable of fluctuation of gender equality conceptions has been the policy issue at stake: while the EU has employed formal equality in certain areas of law, it has been more prone to allow for substantive strategies for equality in others, depending on political priorities and opportunities. The conclusion explains these findings and reflects on the political conveniences of gender equality conceptions. It makes a theoretical, political and normative contribution to existing literature and debates concerning gender equality in the EU and gives directions for future gender equality policy.