08-08-2025

As the European Commission prepares its Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, PHS social partners have submitted a joint response welcoming the EU’s renewed commitment to gender equality, work-life balance, and quality care jobs. They stress, however, that the essential role of domestic and home care workers—91% of whom are women—remains largely overlooked. These workers play a vital role in enabling women’s labour market participation, yet they face precarious conditions and limited recognition.  The partners call on the Commission to promote accessible, high-quality, and affordable PHS to support work-life balance and boost quality employment for women, invest in skills development and training, and strengthen collective bargaining and social dialogue in the PHS sectors, where representation remains critically low. Without acknowledging this often invisible workforce, the EU risks leaving behind both workers and the women who rely on them