Western European states are facing continued budget cuts and restructuring of their health policies. The result is an increasingly informal, decentralized and often more expensive health care provision for those in need of care. As less public budgets are available to support care seekers in meeting their needs, health care workers willing to fill those vacancies are now travelling from Central and Eastern European countries for work. With an eager migrant workforce now fulfilling their domestic labour demands in the health sector, Western European countries are facing issues concerning international employment relations. Should we discuss fair competition between domestic and migrant workers, or should we be more concerned with upholding labour rights and quality standards?

Women seem to be more attracted to start or participate in social enterprises (SEs) than in ‘regular’ business practices. While gender inequality persists in traditional entrepreneurship, SEs appear to experience fewer discrepancies between men and women in terms of positions, salaries and growth opportunities. The ‘natural’ tendency of women to act and think socially, arguably makes them more suitable for this line of work. Yet, the impact of the growing number of women getting involved in social businesses has yet to be discovered.