This book investigates the scope of maternity legislation and family-friendly policies in the European Union.

Roberta Guerrina is Lecturer in Politics at the Department of Political, International and Policy Studies at the University of Surrey

Introduction. Equal rights, maternity and work-life balance in Europe
1. Feminist interpretations of equality, difference and motherhood
2. The development of women's rights in Europe: Equal pay, equal treatment and constitutionalism
3. Reconciliation between work and family life: A concrete move towards establishing substantive equality as a working principle for the Union?
4. The European Court of Justice: Ruling on gender
5. The family friendly discourse in Italy: Mothering, the family and the nation
6. Between the family and the market: The case of the UK
Conclusions