How Public Family Policies Shape Women's Social Roles: Experiences from the Welfare State

Abstract

With profound changes in the structure and size of families around the world and the expansion of the influence of the concept of gender equality, it is increasingly recognized that the construction and the functioning of families need to be supported by public family policies. The existing practices of welfare states in the field of public family policies reflect their initiative and guidance in shaping women's social roles, and have shown strong superiority in promoting women's development and protecting their rights. However, in recent years, when the excessive welfare level of public family policies in welfare states has aroused many controversies, the active role of public family policies in shaping women's social roles should be moderately weakened, and its more necessary role is to enhance women's awareness of their own role choices and promote the dissemination of the concept of gender equality.