" To achieve any real power in the civic realm, the law has to mimic the driving forces for social change in a manner accessible to the layman; equality has to be felt, and forced, on both sides. While British women are able to see their husband and Prime Minister home with newborn babies, they also need to be able to pursue their jobs in such a manner that they do not lose out for the sake of family. However, the struggle between family and work remains important for both sexes. France and Britain are at opposite ends of the European sphere, old rivals again facing new arguments as they aim to decipher the call for equality heard internationally. In 2001, the Genisson Law provided for a new equality in the work-place that would insinuate a balance between work and family for the people of the nation. The law introduced an obligation to include occupational equality issues in bargaining at sector and company level, a novel move for the people of France. However, European critiques note the lack of agreements signed making use of the law, indicating the lagging interest in French companies for gender-related work and home-life equality. For France, much like for the United States, the traditional male-dominated workplace proves more socially and economically popular in its viability.

To the opposite extreme, Sweden isolated its companies in 1991 with the Equal Opportunities Act, forcing them to draw up annual plans to reaffirm gender equality and allow for parity in the office and at home. For Sweden, however, the job was easier; the population, marked by a monochromatic homogeneity, did not suffer between warring parties for equality and ancient, religiously-infused calls for patriarchy. The UK, thought to be increasing in its attachment to work parity policy, provided for mainstreaming policy that would not only improve employer initiatives, but encourage union pressure for gender-equal workplace tactics.

For Blair, the issues were simple. "Campaigners for maternity rights are in no doubt that he should take time off. Not only does it help a father's bonding with his child, but it would set a good example to the nation's employers that they should take paternity as well as maternity seriously." While both France and the United Kingdom share diverse demographics unknown to Swedish policy-makers, they struggle with the same issues in different ways. Slow to open to a new world of policy as regimented from an external source, France remains classically entrenched in its established ways. Contradictorily, England is steered at the helm by someone, albeit pushed by politics, to demonstrate the power of change.

Europe leads the international movement for gendered equality in the home and work-life, and it is captained by the European Union's challenging mandate for members to provide equally for mothers and fathers, men and women. Yet, each state arrives with a different set of ideals, voters, and social leaders who set out to push for their own individuality and protection. While Sweden leads the pack - and the world - in its provision of equality, it is enabled to do so by a population politically un-splintered. The rest...

However, the road is slow; some countries, as evidenced by Tony Blair's Britain, are forced by politics to acknowledge the desires for parity, while others, embodied by the proverbial French provinciality, are slower to transition. Nevertheless, despite speed or sluggishness, the motives and necessity are not ignorable, and the international scene is spurred by the policy-based growth of equity shown in Europe to quickly follow suit.
Anderson, Lucy. "Women and Equity Unit 2002:a" London: Women and Equality Unit, 2002. p. 32.

Bunting, Madeline. "Comment and Analysis: It's all about the Opt-Out." The Guardian. 27 September, 2004.

English, Holly. "Workplace Issues: When Employers Deal with 'Gender Issues' They Need to Include Men."

Legal Times. 10 November, 2003.

EUROPA. "Joint Employment Reports." London: Employment and Social Affairs, 2004.

European Commission 1998, 1999.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. "Gender Equality Plans at the Workplace." Eiro. May 2004. p. 3.

Lucas, George. "Go on, Tony, Take Paternity Leave." New Statesman. March 13, 2000.

Power, Carla. "Women of the New Century; for European Women, Globalization May be Messy. But it's Bringing Fresh Opportunities for a Grou pof Dynamic, Young Entrepreneurs. The Workplace will Never be the Same Again." Newsweek. January 8, 2001. p. 14.

Povall, Margery. "Positive Action for Women in Britain." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol 523, Affirmative Action Revisited. September, 1992. p. 175.

Should Tony Take a Break?" BBC News. March 23, 2000.

Bunting, Madeline. "Comment and Analysis: It's all about the Opt-Out." The Guardian. 27 September, 2004. 1

English, Holly. "Workplace Issues: When Employers Deal with 'Gender Issues' They Need to Include Men."

Legal Times. 10 November, 2003.

Bunting,1.

European Commission 1999: 57

Anderson, Lucy. "Women and Equity Unit 2002:a" London: Women and Equality Unit, 2002. p. 32.

EUROPA. "Joint Employment Reports." London: Employment and Social Affairs, 2004.

European Commission 1998.

EUROPA, "Joint Employment Reports."

Povall, Margery. "Positive Action for Women in Britain." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol 523, Affirmative Action Revisited. September, 1992. p. 175.

Lucas, George. "Go on, Tony, Take Paternity Leave." New Statesman. March 13, 2000.

Power, Carla. "Women of the New Century; for European Women, Globalization May be Messy. But it's Bringing Fresh Opportunities for a Grou pof Dynamic, Young Entrepreneurs. The Workplace will Never be the Same Again." Newsweek. January 8, 2001. p. 14.

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. "Gender Equality Plans at the Workplace." Eiro.…