"To increase the economic resilience of women, we need to focus on changing the system, not the women themselves."
Right now, almost 35% of women in the Netherlands are still not economically independent yet. The Dutch Economic Resilience Coalition (NEVCO) investigates how we can improve women’s economic resilience. Several interventions are tested, in which we suggest a fix the system-approach, rather than a fix the women-approach.
Living Labs
Collective approach to employment
In Living Lab 1 we zoom in on mothers who receive welfare benefits. With the input of mothers themselves, employers and municipalities, we examine how the road to work for mothers can be facilitated by (1) adapting work to mothers’ care responsibilities, (2) matching supply and demand (for example through offering training), and (3) offering a sustainable income.
Resilient together
In Living Lab 2 pregnant women, their (male) partner, midwives and employers come together to increase fathers’ involvement in caring for their children from the very start. Involved fatherhood helps to increase women’s economic resilience, since women then have more time and energy for affairs besides caretaking.
Road to employment
In Living Lab 3 we focus on women without paid work and who do not receive welfare benefits to explore the diversity in this group of women (their characteristics, their life course), and to explore the underlying reasons why these women do not have an income. Additionally, several interventions will be tested on how to overcome these barriers if boosts can be created.
Overarching
The Overarching project examines what motivation, opportunity and capacities all relevant involved parties (employers, newborn care professionals, fathers and midwives) need to increase the economic resilience of women.
