Considering the specific structural social and economic situation of Mayotte, in particular the fact that the labour market is underdeveloped and the employment rate is low due to its remoteness, insularity, difficult topography and climate, an additional implementation period for Council Directive 2010/18/EU should be provided for in order to ensure that equal treatment in the particular field of parental leave is achieved progressively and in a way that does not destabilise the gradual economic development of Mayotte.

At present, many women are employed in sectors of the labour market that pay low wages, and too few of them attain positions of responsibility.

AA. whereas many jobs in the healthcare and care sector in some Member States are still poorly paid, often not offering formal contracts and other basic labour rights and have low attractiveness because of the high risk of physical and emotional stress, the threat of burnout, and a lack of career development opportunities; whereas the sector offers little training and, moreover, its employees are predominantly ageing people, women and migrant workers; whereas care in the EU is often provided by informal unpaid carers, who themselves can be considered a vulnerable group due to increasing pressures to provide more sophisticated and ...[+++]technical levels of care; whereas a number of Member States lack a quality care service that is available to all regardless of income;

6. Notes with concern that women’s employment rates in the Western Balkan countries remain very low; points out that supporting equal opportunities policies is important for the economic and social development of the Balkan accession countries; calls on the governments to introduce measures in order to reduce the gender pay gap and, consequently, the gender pension gap and to tackle high unemployment rates, focusing in particular on women, especially those in rural areas; invites the governments of the countries in the Balkans to establish a legal framework for equal pay for equal work for both sexes, to assist women in reconciling pr ...[+++]ivate and professional life, to secure better working conditions, lifelong learning, flexible work schedules and in addition to create an environment which stimulates female entrepreneurship;

In addition, the low pension entitlements associated with salary levels is a further disadvantage because men generally have a higher income.

It will be more difficult to deal with unemployment, casualisation, low wages and the generalised increase in prices, considering that the level of debt of Portuguese families has now reached 129% of their disposable income.