it encourages german policy makers to build on the important reforms of and to enable both fathers and mothers to combine work and family commitments and commends families to dare to share to those ends it places germany s experience in an international comparison and draws from the experience of for example france and the nordic countries which have longstanding policies to support worklife balance and strengthen gender equality the chapter begins with an explanation of why and how equal sharing pays it is good for family wellbeing child development female employment opportunities fathers working hours sections and and sustaining fertility rates section examines policies to promote partnership looking both at persistent shortcomings and progress achieved through reform since the mid s the chapter closes with a set of policy recommendations designed to enable parents to share work and family responsibilities more equally