Eva Demesmaeker on pension reform: “Women will have to work a bit longer, but the same goes for men”

MP Eva Demesmaeker defended the pension reforms proposed by Minister Jan Jambon during an interview on De Ochtend on Radio 1. She stressed that the reform is necessary to keep the system financially sustainable and that it does take the reality of working women into account.

A sustainable system for everyone

Eva Demesmaeker rejects the criticism that the reforms would mainly affect women and points out that the rules apply to everyone.

“Minister Jan Jambon’s remarks have been taken out of a much broader context. What he is saying is that women will have to work a bit longer, but the same is true for men. In the end, all of us will have to work a little longer.”

She explains that this is due to the current gap between the actual retirement age and the legal retirement age: “The gap between the age at which people stop working and the statutory retirement age is currently far too large to keep the system affordable.”

Taking care responsibilities into account

At the same time, the reform acknowledges the reality of women who take on caregiving responsibilities. Eva Demesmaeker notes that the threshold for early retirement has deliberately been set at 35 years of half-time work in order not to penalize people who work part-time.

“When I look at the pension measures, I see that a great deal of consideration has been given to women.”

She also clarifies that many periods of absence are counted as worked days: “Care leave, sick leave, maternity leave and similar periods are all included. They all count as days worked.”

This is intended to ensure that women who temporarily reduce their working hours to care for their children are not unfairly disadvantaged.

Rewarding work

Eva Demesmaeker argues for a fair system in which actual work is reflected in one’s pension.

“People who work should receive something in return.”

She illustrates this with the example of a colleague: “She is a single mother with children who works full-time and also takes on a flexi-job to make ends meet. It is only right that we recognize that effort. It’s perfectly logical that she will reap the benefits of it when she retires.”

Do we want to return to the ‘woman at the hearth’?

Eva Demesmaeker also stresses the importance of women’s emancipation in the labour market. She warns against a narrative that subtly encourages women to stay at home.

“Could we please shape our society in such a way that women are not expected to stay at home, but instead have the opportunity to work if they want to?”

“We want a society where women can hold top positions. A society where women can work full-time. But when I hear the current tone of the debate, it sometimes sounds as if my role as a woman is to slow down once I have children, so that I can personally be waiting at the school gate on time. Otherwise, you’re apparently not a good mother.”

According to her, working is also a form of self-development and a positive example for children: “Someone who works and finds fulfilment in their job also passes that on to their children. Working hard doesn’t mean you cannot take care of your family. Countless parents prove that every single day.”

Reform targets only the favourable early retirement scheme

Finally, Eva Demesmaeker seeks to temper fears about major pension losses. She stresses that the legal retirement age will not change and that the reform only concerns the more favourable early retirement scheme. For the vast majority of women, the impact will be limited.

“For 77% of women, nothing will change. And for 22%, it will amount to no more than a few months to at most one year longer before they can take early retirement without a penalty,” she concludes.