Milestones

The JÓL-LÉT Foundation was established in 2002 to find solutions to the challenges of balancing parenthood with work. As initiators and participants in national and international research, employment, business development, and networking projects, we continuously refine our theoretical and practical knowledge to develop innovative services for organizations and individuals, and provide expert services to stakeholders in the business, government, and municipal sectors.

Our activities include advocating for the economic participation of women and mothers, taking action against discrimination against women, and initiating legal proceedings.

Our expert and advocacy activities aim to identify contradictions in the regulatory environment and overcome attitudinal barriers. This would not be possible without our involvement in the Hungarian Women’s Lobby, the domestic affiliate of the European Women’s Lobby, our membership and activities in the Employers’ Equal Opportunity Forum and the Telework Association, as well as our extensive network of international contacts.

To provide practical support for women with young children returning to work

• We established and operated, until 2020, the first – and to date, only– domestic non-profit, mother-friendly job placement and counselling workshop open to everyone.
• We published the first job-search handbook for women with young children, titled “Nóra a rengetegben.”
• Based on our research titled “Mother-Friendly Corporate Practices,” we assessed the approaches, actions, and motivations of Hungarian companies in balancing their employees’ professional and parental roles, which served as the foundation for developing the Proactive Parental Leave Management comprehensive corporate methodology.
• Through events, direct outreach, and our services, we are continuously expanding our employer partnerships to support women with children in entering the workforce and returning to work, improve the workplace situation of women providing care, and promote equal opportunities and the development of women’s talents in the workplace.
• We contributed to the introduction of the BKV pass for parents of young children in Budapest starting in September 2008.
• With the support of UPC Magyarország Kft., we developed a job-search training program titled “Női Klikk Online Job Search Training,” which hundreds of people have completed in recent years.
• Starting in 2014, to share our unique experiences, we established a national advisory network called Nóra-háló, in collaboration with civil society organizations operating in 11 cities across the country, with the aim of supporting women in re-entering the workforce, identifying and addressing cases of discrimination, and promoting women-friendly employment practices nationwide. Modelled after our network, the Safety Net initiative was launched, followed by a national call for proposals for Family and Career Centres, through which numerous organizations received grants in the hundreds of millions of forints.

Promoting equal opportunities for women and men

• We participated in the EU equal opportunities project titled Genderwise, which aimed to promote men’s support for gender equality. The project facilitated men’s involvement in breaking down gender-based stereotypes in their private lives, in education, and in the workplace.
• In our book *Gender Status: Stereotypes in the World of Work*, based on comparative research conducted as participants in the EU-funded Stereo Project, we present in accessible terms how stereotypes operate, their consequences, and our counterarguments.
• Between 2006 and 2010, we also played a role in two civil society expert working groups at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor:
• In collaboration with members of the “Reconciling Work and Private Life” (www.munka-maganelet.hu) working group, the 2008 Family-Friendly Workplace Award was revamped based on our recommendations,
• and we contributed to the evaluation and monitoring of organizations applying for the award.
• Under the title SZTEREÓ-KÓPIA, we launched a public service announcement competition and campaign aimed at breaking down gender stereotypes.
• In 2010, we drafted an Equal Opportunity Program for the Újbuda Municipal Government.
• In 2010, we contributed to the work of the Population Roundtable’s working groups on “Reconciling Family and Work” and “The Transformation of Male Roles.”
• Some of our recommendations were incorporated into the concept of the New Széchenyi Plan.
• Since 2011, we have focused on gender-based economic Our priority has shifted to identifying and mitigating inequalities in the entrepreneurial sphere that go beyond the disadvantages women face in the labour market.
• Since 2014, we have participated in international networks supporting women’s In 2015, we conducted a national study about women entrepreneurs titled “Nóra Starts a Business,” and we developed policy recommendations for stakeholders, the government, business development actors, and the financial sector.
• Since 2018, we have participated with our international partners in the EU’s SEEWBAN project, which was established to support female entrepreneurs through investors and to increase the number of female investors.
• Since 2019, we have been organizing events for the global campaign for International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, which highlights the role of women’s influence on economic and social sustainability.

To promote a more equal division of parenting responsibilities

• In 2007, we organized the first Father’s Day in Hungary, which we celebrate annually ever since.
• Under the title “Visible Fathers,” with the involvement of authentic men who support equality and in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy, we organized an exhibition that we also present at corporate (e.g., Magyar Telekom NyRt.) and other venues.
• We published a booklet titled “There’s Only One Dad” to promote the role of fathers and emphasize its importance.
• We organize a “Family Accessibility Challenge” for companies to strengthen the division of labor at home.

Other achievements in line with our mission:

• We were the first in Hungary to publish a specialized publication on job sharing titled “Ketten a pályán” (Two on the Field). The government introduced incentives to promote this specific form of part-time employment starting in January 2011.
• To strengthen intergenerational ties, we were the first to launch a “surrogate grandma and grandpa” club.