FranceAs of September 1st, two new measures related to retirement benefits for mothers are being implemented in France. These changes were approved as part of the 2026 Social Security Budget and aim to address the impact of motherhood on professional careers, which has historically led to lower pensions for women due to career interruptions, part-time work, and persistent wage gaps. The first measure adjusts the calculation method for retirement pensions by using the best 24 years of earnings for mothers with one child and the best 23 years for those with two children, compared to the current standard of 25 years. This change excludes one or two lower-earning years, thereby increasing the reference salary used to calculate pensions, benefiting more than half of women. The second measure allows mothers to count up to two additional quarters related to their children toward the 'long careers' early retirement scheme, enabling more women who started working at a young age to retire earlier while accounting for their unique career paths.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the implementation of new policies aimed at addressing gender disparities in retirement benefits. It provides explanations from the Ministry of Labor and quotes Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou, offering balanced perspectives without overtly favoring any political side. The framing
