Where Moms Work the Hardest

Standard Inequality

Denmark, which has the second highest rate of employed mothers, has aggressively combated these obstacles. It spends more on family policies and maternity benefits than any other OECD country except Luxembourg, which is one of the reasons its tax rates are among the highest in the developed world.

But even in the Nordic countries, which felt the demographic squeeze long before other European countries and were among the first to implement family-friendly policies, life is seldom easy for employed mothers. In most E.U. countries, women spend three times as much time cleaning, cooking and looking after kids and enjoy fewer leisure hours than men, on average, according to Eurostat.

What's worse, women continue to earn less than men in most European countries. Last month, Deutsche Bank released a study on gender equality in the workforce with the provocative title,"Are Women Really Worth Less?" Although the report predicts the rising pressure of population aging will make women a more vital part of the workforce in coming years, it also emphasizes the broader economic costs of not making them so.

"The gender pay gap isn't just bad news for women and an equity issue," said Dr. Claire Schaffnit-Chatterjee, a research analyst for Deutsche Bank. It also "impedes economic growth."