Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:47:11.859Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Retirement Pension Reforms in Six European Social Insurance Schemes between 2000 and 2017: More Financial Sustainability and More Gender Inequality?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2018

Manuela Arcanjo
Manuela Arcanjo*
Affiliation:
School of Economics and Management, Universidade de Lisboa, and Research Centre of Economic Sociology and Organisations E-mail: marcanjo@iseg.ulisboa.pt
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In 2000, the European Union established three principles that should guide Member State pension systems and their reforms: the financial sustainability of pension systems; adequacy of pensions; and the modernisation of systems. The latter included the achievement of greater gender equality and sought to respond to the significant gender gaps in public pension systems. This article demonstrates how the reforms carried out over the period 2000–2017 have focused on strengthening the financial sustainability of systems but may also have contributed to even greater gender inequality in old age protection. To this end, we examine the major legislative amendments concerning eligibility criteria and entitlement conditions in six countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain), as representative of the social insurance scheme.

Keywords

Old-age pensionspension reformsgender equalitysocial insurance schemes
Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , October 2019 , pp. 501 - 515
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Addis, E. (2015) ‘Gender in the reform of the Italian welfare state’, South European Society and Politics, 4, 2, 122–49.Google Scholar
Arza, C. (2015) The Gender Dimensions of Pension Systems: Policies and constraints for the Protection of Older Women, Discussion Paper 1, UN Women.Google Scholar
Betti, G., Bettio, F., Georgiadis, T. and Tinios, P. (2015) Unequal Ageing in Europe. Women's Independence and Pension, New York: Palgrave MacMillan.Google Scholar
Bonoli, G. and Palier, B. (2007) ‘When past reforms open new opportunities: comparing old-age insurance reforms in Bismarckian welfare systems’, Social Policy and Administration, 41, 6, 555–73.Google Scholar
Bonnet, C. and Geraci, M. (2009) ‘Correcting gender inequality in pensions. The experience of five European countries’, Population and Societies, 453, February, 1–4.Google Scholar
Bonnet, C., Buffeteau, S. and Godefroy, P. (2015) ‘Effects of pension reforms on gender inequality in France’, Population, 61, 1–2, 51–80.Google Scholar
Busemeyer, M. R. (2005) ‘Pension reforms in Germany and Austria: system change vs quantitative retrenchment’, West European Politics, 28, 3, 569–91.Google Scholar
Corsi, M. and D'Ippoliti, C. (2009) ‘Poor old grandmas? A note on the gender dimension of pension reforms’, Brussels Economic Review, 52, 1, 35–56.Google Scholar
Dearing, H. (2016) ‘Gender equality in the division of work: how to assess European leave policies regarding their compliance with an ideal leave model’, Journal of European Social Policy, 26, 3, 1–14.Google Scholar
Earles, K. (2013) ‘The gendered consequences of the European Union's pension policy’, Women's Studies International Forum, 38, 75–82.Google Scholar
EC (1999) Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A concerted strategy for modernizing social protection [COM (1999) 347 final – not published in the Official Journal].Google Scholar
EC (2003) Adequate and Sustainable Pensions, Joint report by the Commission and the Council, Brussels: Commission of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2006) Report on Equality between Women and Men, 2006, Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2010) Report on Equality between Women and Men, 2010, Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2012) Pension Adequacy in the European Union 2010–2050, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2013) The Gender Gap in Pensions in the EU, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2015a) Report on Equality between Women and Men, 2015, Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2015b) Review of Recent Social Policy Reforms, Report of the Social Protection Committee, Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
EC (2017) Report on Equality between Women and Men, 2017, Luxembourg: Office for Publications of the European Communities.Google Scholar
European Council (2000) Lisbon European Council, 23 and 24 March, Presidency Conclusions, www.europarl.europa.eu/summits/lis1_en.htm [accessed 12.01.2017].Google Scholar
European Council (2001) Laeken European Council, 14 and 15 December, Presidency Conclusions, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/european-council/conclusions/1993-2003/ [accessed 12.01.2017].Google Scholar
Eurostat-Database (nd) Population and Social Conditions Database (old-age dependency ratio tps00198); projected old-age dependency ratio tps 00200), Ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database [accessed 15.01.2018].Google Scholar
Foster, L. (2010) ‘Towards a new political economy of pensions? The implications for women’, Critical Social Policy, 30, 1, 27–47.Google Scholar
Frericks, P. and Maier, R. (2011) ‘The gender pension gap. Effects of norms and reform policies’, in Arza, C. and Kohli, M. (eds.), Pension Reform in Europe. Politics, Policies and Outcomes, London: Routledge/EUI studies in the political economy of welfare, 175–95.Google Scholar
Frericks, P., Knijn, T. and Maier, R. (2009) ‘Pension reforms, working patterns and gender pension gaps in Europe’, Gender, Work and Organization, 16, 6, 710–30.Google Scholar
Frericks, P., Maier, R. and Graaf, W. (2008) ‘Male norms and female adjustments: the influence of care credits on gender pension gaps in France and Germany’, European Societies, 10, 1, 97–101.Google Scholar
Gago, E. G. (2017) ‘The effects of the economic crisis and austerity on gender equality in Spain and the Spanish regimes’, in Bargawi, H., Cozzi, G. and Himmelweit, S. (eds.), Economics and Austerity in Europe. Gendered impacts and Sustainable Alternatives, New York: Routledge, Chapter 6.Google Scholar
Ginn, J. (2003) Gender, Pensions and the Life Course. How Pensions Needs to Adapt to Changing Family Forms, Bristol: The Policy Press.Google Scholar
Ginn, J. (2004) ‘European pension privatization: taking account of gender’, Social Policy and Society, 3, 2, 121–32.Google Scholar
Ginn, J., Street, D. and Arber, S. (2001) Women, Work and Pensions: International Issues and Prospects, Buckingham and Philadelphia: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Guillemard, A. M. (2016) ‘France: working longer takes time, in spite of reforms raise the retirement age’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 51, 2, 127–46.Google Scholar
Grech, A. G. (2015) Pension Reforms in the 1990s and During the Financial Crisis: More of the Same?, MPRA Paper No. 66894, https://mpra.ub.uni-munchen.de/66894 [accessed 13.12.2017].Google Scholar
Hagemann, S. and Scherger, S. (2016) ‘Increasing pension age – inevitable or unfeasible? Analysing the ideas underlying experts’ arguments in the UK and Germany’, Journal of Aging Studies, 39, 54–65.Google Scholar
James, E., Edwards, A. C. and Wong, R. (2008) The Gender Impact of Social Security Reform, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Jefferson, T. (2009) ‘Women and retirement pensions: a research review’, Feminist Economics, 15, 4, 115–45.Google Scholar
Leitner, S. (2001) ‘Sex and gender discrimination within EU pension systems’, Journal of European Social Policy, 11, 2, 99–115.Google Scholar
Luckhaus, L. (2000) ‘Equal treatment, social protection and income security for women’, International Labour Review, 139, 2, 149–78.Google Scholar
MISSOC (2000, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) MISSOC- Info, Evolution of the Social Protection (www.missoc.org).Google Scholar
MISSOC (2012) Gender Differences in Social Protection, MISSOC Analysis 2012/2, European Commission, Brussels.Google Scholar
OECD-Database (nd) Ageing and Employment Policies – Statistics on Average Effective Age of Retirement, http://www.oecd.org/els/emp/average-effective-age-of-retirement.htm [accessed 18.12.2017].Google Scholar
OECD (2002) Employment Outlook 2002, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2007) Pensions at a Glance. Public Policies across OECD Countries, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2009) Pensions at a glance. Retirement-Income Systems in OECD Countries, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2011) Pensions at a glance. Retirement-Income Systems in OECD Countries, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2012) Pensions Outlook, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2013) Pensions at a Glance, OECD and G20 Indicators, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2015) Pensions at a Glance, OECD and G20 Indicators, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
OECD (2017) Pensions at a Glance, OECD and G20 Indicators, Paris: OECD.Google Scholar
Peinado, P. (2014) ‘A dynamic gender analysis of Spain's pension reforms of 2011’, Feminist Economics, 20, 3, 163–90.Google Scholar
Ray, R., Gornick, J. C. and Schmitt, J. (2010) ‘Who cares? Assessing generosity and gender equality in parental leave policy designs in 21 countries’, Journal of European Social Policy, 20, 3, 196–216.Google Scholar
Renga, S., Molnar-Hidassy, D. and Tisheva, G. (2010) Direct and Indirect Gender Discrimination in Old-age Pensions in 33 European Countries, European Network of Legal Experts in the Field of Gender Equality, European Commission.Google Scholar
Rubery, J. (2015) ‘Austerity and the future for the gender equality in Europe’, ILR Review, 68, 4, 715–41.Google Scholar
Saxonberg, S. (2013) ‘From defamilialization to degenderization: toward a new welfare typology’, Social Policy and Administration, 47, 1, 26–49.Google Scholar
Schwarz, A. M. (2006) Pension System Reforms, SP Discussion Paper, N°0680, Social Protection, World Bank, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Stählberg, A., Birman, M., Kruse, A. C. and Sundén, A. (2006) ‘Pension reforms and gender: the case of Sweden’, Gender Issues, Winter, 90–118.Google Scholar
Tinios, P., Bettio, F. and Betti, G. (2015) Men, Women and Pensions, Report prepared for the European Commission, Brussels, ec.europa.eu/justice/genderequality/files/documents/150618_men_women_pensions_en.pdf [accessed 09.01.2017].Google Scholar
Vara, M. J. (2013) ‘Gender inequality in the Spanish public pension system’, Feminist Economics, 19, 4, 136–59.Google Scholar
Vidlund, M. (2006) Old-Age Pension Reforms in the EU-15 Countries at a Time of Retrenchment, WP 1/2006, Finnish Centre for Pensions, Finland.Google Scholar
Vlachantoni, A. (2010) ‘Gender and pension individualization: the case of Greece’, South European Society and Politics, 15, 2, 225–45.Google Scholar
Vlachantoni, A. (2012) ‘Financial inequality and gender in older people’, Maturitas, 72, 104–7.Google Scholar
Whiteford, P. and Whitehouse, E. (2006) ‘Pension challenges and pension reforms in OECD countries’, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 22, 1, 78–94.Google Scholar