Paternal leave alone will not solve a gender inequality

Participating in the Maven Family Leave data challenge (#mavenfamilyleavechallenge ) has sparked my interest in exploring maternity leave as a broader phenomenon. But more so, as I embark on this new stage of life, conversations about parental leave have become usual among friends and colleagues during our lunch breaks. It's time to delve into available data and research to better understand the policies and practices that exist around the world. Ultimately, I hope to encourage a broader discussion of their potential impact on individuals and families.

Briefly into history of the issue?

The first global form of paid leave in 1919 was female focused, as a concern the health and safety of employed women just before and after childbirth. The policies changed a lot in the last 52-year period and have shown some striking differences both within and between countries. You can see the evolution in the dynamic graph below based on data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, this international organization conducts in-depth analysis and research on economic, social, and environmental issues. We see that mothers now have the opportunity to take more leave days than ever before. So many countries offer paid maternity leave and health benefits by law.

Despite the progress, the focus on moms as primary caregivers is? one of the main drivers of gender gaps in the workplace for women. It also leaves dads at a disadvantage in terms of leave entitlement and support.

Two models?

There are two “typical” camps regarding family policies. The United States does not have a national paid paternity leave policy. The European Union on a contrary is promoting work-life balance and supporting families. These include the Parental Leave Directive of 2019, which requires employers to provide unpaid leave of up to four months to parents with children under the age of eight. These actions strive to help parents juggle their job and home life, while also encouraging a more equal footing for both genders at work.

We can see on this graph that the majority out of 1599 American companies analyzed give between 6 and 12 weeks of family leave to women and between 2 and 6 to men. We also should consider that maternity leave is a known benefit way more often than paternity leave in those companies. This is way below EU standards.??

Talking about the benefits for moms, dads and children…?

Norway stands out as one of the most forward-thinking nations regarding this issue. They have extended paternity leave from 6 to a total of 10 weeks. The changes did not result in alterations to income or family stability. However, they led to an 11% reduction in conflicts over household chores and a 10.8% enhancement in life satisfaction. Mothers experienced an even more significant improvement in life satisfaction, approximately 30%. Some other findings showed:

• Family impact: in South Korea scientists concluded that a 2-week or longer paternity leave significantly boosts family dynamics and lowers behavior problems in children, reduced family conflicts, and better father-child relations. Even though some articles argue that 2 weeks may not be enough for fathers to build a strong bond with a newborn or adapt to new routines.
• Teenagers for equality: children with fathers eligible for paternity leave show more egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles by age 12. These kids encourage equal engagement of parents in the workforce and at home.

Maternity leave helps reduce mental health issues after childbirth, leading to lower depression risk in older age.

Less solo, more together!

Balance is key! Making changes to policies should be done with caution, so we don't accidentally bring back old patterns or stereotypes. A German study found that after spending a year on unpaid solo parental leave, moms might slide back into more "traditional" childcare roles within the family. Relationship satisfaction depends on how much time parents spend caring for their kiddos together – the more the better.

It's essential to remember that everyone's different! Some Irish dads feel torn between taking parental leave and sticking to the "breadwinner" role, imposed by patriarchal society's expectations. This inner conflict can really mess with their mental health. A similar situation popped up in France, where dads who already leaned into traditional gender roles before having a baby kept seeing moms as the primary caregivers, even after taking paternity leave.

We need a culture shift! Right now, our work environment doesn't quite get what it means to be a dad and an equal partner. To make the most of parental leave, we need a change in cultural norms. A cool idea? Encourage soon-to-be dads to join parenting classes before taking paternity leave. It'll help them learn the ropes, make new friends, and beat the loneliness that can come with being a stay-at-home parent. Let's push policymakers and employers to understand the wild ride of parenthood and create systems that support moms and dads equally!

P.S. I analysed dataset provided by Maven Analytics , which contained information on 1,599 unique companies. My analysis focused on the percentage of companies with known information about their policies on family leave and the proportion of these with zero weeks. It became evident that unpaid paternal leave was the least frequently offered benefit, with a higher number of companies offering 0 weeks of leave compared to other types of parental leave.

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