Integration of women in the labour market: do maternity / parental leave policies matter? A case of Slovenia

Former socialist countries have always been exceptions in high labour force participation rates among women , who usually worked at full-time jobs (Women in Transition, 1999: 40). Their work en masse led to growing attention of labour market experts, as this was remarkable in comparison to ‘Western’ countries . Despite the dilemmas researchers found themselves in front of when looking for the reasons, it is still difficult to argue what the high rates are actually consequence of; ideology, economic necessity, political necessity to control citizens (as employment is a source of legitimacy and control; Jahoda, 1982) or are the result of simple calculation, which maintained the (desired) low wage level. Whatever the reason, employment has been taking on not only an economic but also an important integrative function