MARCH 2021

SPOTLIGHT ON
PUBLIC POLICYPARENTAL LEAVEPROMOTING FAMILY-FRIENDLY POLICIESIN THE G7 AND THE EUROPEAN UNIONOVERVIEW
Families are fundamental building blocks of society and have enormous significance for economies. Around the world, laws and policies
aimed at reconciling work and family-life benefit communities, businesses and families.
Paid maternity, paternity and parental leave policies in line with International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, as well as social protection, are essential to the realization of gender equality and theoverall prosperity of society as a whole. Such provisions ensure
workers’ economic security and promote women’s employment.
When governments implement adequately paid parental leave policies, they provide economic stability for new and growing families.
Leave policies are also crucial for supporting the equal distributionof care responsibilities between parents, thus encouraging moreegalitarian societies.

PUBLIC SEC TOR SUPPORT FOR FAMILY-FRIENDLY POLICIESThis Spotlight on Public Policy provides an overview of policies
implemented in G7 and European Union countries to benefit
new parents and families. It urges all governments to ratify andimplement international labour standards, and call on companies
within their legislation to implement the Women’s Empowerment
Principles (WEPs). It illustrates that investing in family-friendly

policies, such as parental, maternity and paternity leave, benefits
employers, employees and society alike. It specifically aims to
support governments in prioritizing, establishing, and implementing family-friendly policies to ensure that all people aretreated fairly at work (Principle 2).

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 1

Persistent gaps in paid-leave provisions, insufficient return-to-workarrangements and inadequate health and safety protection remain
key challenges for formally employed workers, self-employed womenand those working in small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) andthe gig economy. Globally, only 42 per cent of countries reach the ILO
standards on maternity leave duration, benefit level and source ofbenefits (see Box below), and close to 60 per cent of mothers withnewborns do not receive any benefits.1
Mothers tend to experience disadvantages, compared to non-mothers, in hiring, their perceived abilities, labour-market interruptions
and their overall daily job experience.2 These disadvantages culminate in a wage penalty known as the “Motherhood Pay Gap” whichrefers to the unequal pay between mothers and non-mothers. 3 Providing a comprehensive system of paid family leave for all carers isvital to securing women’s progress and equal access to the labourmarket, while supporting a fairer division of unpaid care work.
The “Motherhood Pay Gap” can largely be addressed by providing
paternity and parental leave for fathers, and encouraging the equal
uptake of care responsibilities between parents. Father-inclusive paternity and parental leave policies also foster stronger father-childrelationships, which can lead to positive emotional and educational
outcomes for children, create lifelong patterns on the division ofhousehold work, and help provide an enabling environment for
women working outside the home. Despite this, many countries
lack paid paternity and parental leave provisions, and the time andpay offered to men who take leave remains low compared to theprovisions for women.

ILO MATERNIT Y PROTEC TION CONVENTION
The ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) sets
out that cash benefits paid during maternity leave should be atleast two-thirds of the woman’s previous earnings for at least
14 weeks. 4 The guiding principle is that the level of benefits
should ensure “that the woman can maintain herself and her

Today, families take multiple forms.7 Family structures and relationships across regions and over time are diverse. 8 The evolving understanding of “family” does not always fit the confines of a nuclear,binary, biparental family with biological children.

child in proper conditions of health and with a suitable standardof living.”5 The Maternity Protection Recommendation, 2000
(No. 191) further calls for the full replacement of a woman’s previous earnings for at least 18 weeks. 6

Leave policies that reflect diverse demographics, societal changes
and are inclusive of, among others, single parents, same-sex parents,
parents who adopt or conceive via surrogacy, stepfamilies, andfamilies where the primary caregiver is a man, can ensure no-one
is left behind.
The modernization of policies to reflect evolving family definitions
is important to ensure policies protect all those raising children. By
acknowledging diverse family types, as well as the intersecting identities of workers, governments can ensure that the diverse needs ofthe entire workforce are accounted for and all workers benefit fromparental leave provisions.

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 2

POLICY TRENDS IN THE G7 AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Across the G7 and EU, countries have taken strides to promote the equal uptake of care work, as well as as ensure that diverse families
have access to adequate leave provisions and supports.

PA R E N T S’ E Q UA L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
Globally, while mothers still take the bulk of leave to care for children,
leave policies are slowly evolving to recognize and promote parents’equal responsibility and involvement in the care of children andother family members.9
In 1974, Sweden became the first country in the world to provide
parental leave that gave both parents the same opportunity to stayat home with their children,10 and the country has continued to be aleader in the development of mandatory paternity leave policies
since then. The Swedish Government grants all parents, regardlessof gender, 480 days (16 months) of paid parental leave at about 80
per cent of their salary (capped), plus bonus days for twins.11 Of the
480 days, 90 days are reserved for each parent.12
As of 2015, 94 countries around the world had begun providing
paternity leave.13 Many other countries have paved the way in implementing equal leave policies for parents. Finland, for example,

has developed an equalizer policy that grants nearly seven monthsof paid leave to each parent, for a total of 14 months of paid leave.14
Similarly, Japan offers 30 weeks of paid leave for fathers.15
In Estonia, the Strategy of Children and Families 2012-2020 emphasizes five key objectives: positive parenting, children’s rights, childprotection, family benefits and reconciliation of work and familylife.16 As of July 2020, paternity leave has been extended to a 30-day
non-transferable parental benefit for fathers, in addition to the 435day parental benefit period.17
Despite these measures, progress is limited by a lack of paternity
leave provision or, where there is provision, the insufficiency of its
length and pay. Layered on top of social norms and corporate cultures,
this discourages men from taking advantage of existing policies,
and further perpetuates the feminized nature of care.

D E F I N I N G FA M I L I E S
Another important trend is the evolution of “the family”. Across the EU,
countries such as France, Portugal and Sweden have adopted genderneutral language within leave policies to support the equal sharingof care work between parents, regardless of sex, and support thosein same-sex relationships.18 Similarly, leave legislation in Spain does
not establish any distinction between same-sex and different-sex

parents.19 Finland announced policy changes that come into effect inearly 2021 to provide parents with equal parental leave, regardlessof gender or whether they are a child’s biological parents.20 This initiative seeks to make parental leave policies inclusive of same-sex
couples and encourage leave uptake among fathers.21

G7 COMMITMENTS
Past and present discussions among G7 members have focused on
the importance of women’s economic empowerment and the grouphas set concrete targets to achieve women’s equal participation in
the workforce; for instance, aiming to reduce the gender gap in workforce participation rates by 25 per cent by 2025.22
2017: G7 Leaders’ Summit in Taormina, Italy, G7 leaders encouraged
companies to endorse flexible work arrangements and family-friendly
policies to encourage the equal uptake of domestic tasks between
parents.23

2018: G7 Leaders’ Summit in Charlevoix, Canada, G7 leaders committed to encouraging private and public employers to actively pursue
ways of reconciling work and care responsibilities for both women andmen, including through paid maternity and parental leave policies.24
2019: During the French G7 presidency, the Biarritz partnership forgender equality was announced, and G7 leaders recognized the importance of designating a portion of parental leave to men to incentivize equal uptake of leave provisions, and ensuring that parental
leave be equally available for same-sex parents and adoptive parents,and for self-employed and part-time workers.25

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G7 POLICIESOV ERV IE W
Maternity, paternity and parental leave policies differ across the G7
countries. The United Kingdom (UK) grants women the longest maternity leave (52 weeks with 39 weeks of paid leave)26 while maternity
leave policies in France grants mothers 100 per cent of their earnings(capped). 27 Similarly, in Italy for some categories of employees,
including public sector employees, leave is paid at 100 per cent of
earnings.28 In Italy, mothers are also entitled to the longest compulsory
leave in the EU.29
The UK offers the longest designated paternity leave at two weeks. 30
Italy is the only G7 country to pay men who take paternity leave at
100 per cent of their earnings. 31

Regarding parental leave, Canada offers the most weeks available
to both mothers and fathers, i.e. a maximum of 71 weeks for parents
who share leave,32 and a maximum of 69 weeks of paid leave, 33 andGermany is the only G7 country to pay parents who take parental
leave up to 100 per cent of their earnings (for certain categories of
employees). 34
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US all offer leave
provisions for same-sex parents, or protection against workplace
discrimination for same-sex parents seeking leave.

CANADAThe 1985 Canada Labour Code provides federally regulated employeeswith various types of paid and unpaid leave.35 In the case of maternity
leave, the Canadian Labour Code offers mothers up to 17 weeks of leave.36
Moreover, the code gives parents up to 63 weeks of parental leave,and parents who share parental leave can access up to 71 weeks.37
Under the code, maternity and parental leave are unpaid.38

average weekly earnings. 50 Adoptive parents are eligible for sharedparental leave at 37 weeks at 70 per cent of average weekly earnings
for the first 12 weeks and 55 per cent of average weekly earnings forthe remaining 25 weeks.51 Under the specialized parental leave plan,
parents are eligible for 28 weeks of leave at a benefit of 75 per cent of
average weekly earnings. 52

Paid leave is provided through employment insurance (EI).39 Women
may take up to 15 weeks of maternity leave paid at 55 per cent of earnings.40 In the case of parental leave, EI provides either standard parental leave up to 40 weeks with a maximum of 35 weeks taken by one
parent (paid at 55 per cent of earnings), or extended parental leave
which is up to 69 weeks with a maximum of 61 weeks taken by one
parent (paid at 33 per cent of earnings).41 Parents themselves selectthe type of leave they choose to take.42 As of 2019, parents are eligible
for an additional five weeks of employment insurance parental benefits when they agree to share parental benefits, or an additional eightweeks for those who choose the extended parental benefit option.43
This is available to adoptive and same-sex parents. 44 However, inmany cases, paid provisions are inadequate and inflexible.45

The Canadian Government offers an annual child benefit of up to$6,765 CAD per child under the age of six, and $5,708 CAD per childbetween the ages of six and 17.53 Most families can receive these taxexempt payments monthly.54 This benefit is higher for lower income
families and designed to address income gaps. 55
In a 2019 study by Promundo in six countries, Canadian men ranked
highest among those who said the financial barrier was the key reason
why they were unable to take leave. 56 These policies may therefore
not offer the financial stability parents require and could therefore
re-enforce gender-specific expectations that parents who earn less,generally women, will take time off to care for the children.

Under the Employment Insurance Act, self-employed mothers are
granted 15 weeks of maternity leave and self-employed parents are
granted a standard parental benefit of 35 weeks or an extended parental benefit of 61 weeks (at 55 per cent and 33 per cent of the claimant’s earnings respectively).46
In Quebec, leave is regulated by the Quebec Parental Insurance Planand offers a basic maternity plan of 18 weeks at 70 per cent of earnings, or a specialized maternity plan of 15 weeks at 75 per cent of
average weekly earnings.47 This plan also stipulates that fathers cantake five weeks of paternity leave at 70 per cent of average weekly
earnings under the basic plan, and three weeks’ paternity leave at
75 per cent of earnings under the specialized plan.48 Under the Quebec
Parental Insurance Plan, parents are eligible for shared parental leave
at 32 weeks at 70 per cent of average weekly earnings for the firstseven weeks and 55 per cent of average weekly earnings for the remaining 25 weeks. 49 Under the specialized parental leave plan, parents are eligible for 25 weeks of leave at a benefit of 75 per cent of
SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 4

FRANCEIn France, under the French Labour Code, parents are entitled tomaternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave.

Adoption leave policies depend on the number of children already inthe care of parents and leave can range from 10 weeks to 22 weeks. 62

Birth mothers are granted 16 weeks of maternity leave when expecting their first or second child, 26 weeks when expecting a third child,
34 weeks when expecting twins, and 46 weeks when expecting
triplets. 57 Maternity leave benefits are funded by health insurance
through a shared contribution between employers and employees,
and mothers receive 100 per cent of their earnings (for public sector
employees leave is fully paid, while some private sector employers
pay in full and others do not).58 Self-employed women are eligible forleave provisions through if they are compulsory insured with sickness
and maternity insurance. 59

Parental leave is an individual entitlement, meaning that both parents can take leave, and is available until the child reaches three yearsof age.63 Length of leave is, on average, 26 weeks.64 Payment depends
on whether the recipient is employed and, if so, for how long (thebasic benefit is €396 per month for a non-employed parent). 65

Fathers can take 11 days of paternity leave, capped at €77.24 perday, or 18 days for multiple births, plus three extra days of paid holiday for the birth. 60 Announced in September 2020, fathers will be
granted 28 days of paid paternity leave starting July 2021, and fathers
will be required to take at least a week off work after the birth oftheir children. 61

For same-sex female partners, one partner may claim paternity leave
if the other has borne the child and claimed maternity leave following its birth. 66 Although men in same-sex partnerships cannot bothtake paternity leave, 67 an employer cannot refuse parental leave
under any circumstances if the employee has been with the company
for at least one year. 68

GERMANYIn Germany, mothers are entitled to maternity leave under the Federal
Act on Maternity Protection of 1997.69 Mothers are entitled to leave
up to six weeks before, and eight weeks after the birth of a child.70
Self-employed and non-employed women do not receive maternity
benefits if they do not have public health insurance, however they may
apply for up to €210 per month paid for by state social security.71
The German parental leave benefit, ‘Elterngeld’ (basic parental allowance), was introduced in 2007 as a mechanism to reduce family economic insecurity, and a move towards more gender-equal parental
leave policies aimed to encourage take-up of parental leave by fathers.72 The policy offers a basic parental allowance (between 65 percentand 100 per cent of lost income), providing parents with an income-related benefit for the first 12 months, with two additional
months if the second caregiver takes a minimum of two months ofparental leave.73

In 2015, Germany began offering the Partnership Bonus, an additional
four months of PAP leave for parents who decide to work part-time
simultaneously for four months in parallel and for between 25 to 30
hours per week.76
Between 2006 and 2015, the proportion of fathers taking parental
leave increased significantly (from 3.5 per cent to 36 per cent), as did
the employment rate among mothers of young children (from 42 percent to 58 per cent).77
In Germany, same-sex parents are granted parental leave.78

Since 2014, parents have had the option of Parental Allowance Plus
(PAP) which aims to support parents who plan to return to their jobs
shortly after their child is born and encourage an equal take-up ofcare and domestic duties between partners.74 Parents can receive PAP
benefits for twice as long as basic benefits, thus supporting those
who prefer to work part-time.75

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ITALYIn Italy, maternity leave is covered under the Italian Civil Code of 1971.79
Mothers are entitled to five months of maternity leave (two months
before and three months after the child’s birth) paid at 80 per cent ofsalary (or 100 per cent for certain categories of employees).80 For somecategories of employees, including public sector employees, leave
is paid at 100 per cent of earnings. 81 Additionally, mothers who havecompleted their seventh month of pregnancy, or parents in the process of adopting a child are entitled to a grant of EUR 800. 82
Fathers receive five days of compulsory paternity leave paid at 100
per cent of earnings and an extra day of optional leave if the mothertransfers part of her maternity leave. 83 Leave is fully paid (a temporalmeasure depending on budgetary implications) that may be taken
within five months of the child’s birth. 84 While Italy does not offer
fathers paternity leave beyond these few days, it does offer longer

parental leave. Employed working parents are each entitled to six
months of parental leave, with a maximum total length of leave perfamily of 10 months (and an additional month, should the father takeparental leave for at least three months). 85 The Italian parental allowance is 30 per cent of salary for a maximum of six months. 86 Once thesix months have passed (and until the child reaches the age of eight),
parents may be eligible for financial support provided they meetcertain personal income requirements. 87 Self-employed parents are
granted three months of parental leave. 88
Same-sex parents are also entitled to parental leave provisions. 89
In 2016, 17 per cent of fathers in the private and agricultural sectors
took some parental leave compared to the 8.6 per cent of fathers
taking leave in 2009.90

JAPAN
Maternity leave benefits in Japan are payable to women insured
under either the Employment Insurance Act or the National Health
Insurance law.91 Mothers are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave.92
Maternity leave is compensated at an average of 67 per cent of pay.93
Mothers are subsequently eligible for 44 weeks of parental leave,
paid at approximately 60 per cent of their salary (on average).94
These allowances are covered by the social insurance system, andno income tax or labour insurance applies during the leave. Selfemployed women are covered under these benefits as well.96

The Government of Japan has been increasing efforts to encourage
more fathers to take parental leave. Fathers can take up to a year off– two-thirds of it with full pay – after the birth of a child.97 In 2017,
the Government amended its Childcare and Family Care Leave Act toencourage men’s participation in child-rearing.98 The previous measure allowed parents to take leave until the child reached one year
old, with an extension until a child is 18 months old, should parents
be unable to arrange childcare.99 The amendment calls for this provision to be extended until a child reaches the age of two.100 Additionalchanges include permitting employees to take family care leave morethan once (up to three times and for a maximum of 93 days), exempting employees from overtime work to care for their family members,
and allowing employees to apply (up to two times in a three-year
period) for shorter working hours to care for their family members.101
However, despite these measures, the uptake of leave among fathers
remains extremely low, sitting at around six per cent, compared tothe 82 per cent uptake of maternity leave in 2018;102 and far below
the Government’s target of reaching 13 per cent by 2020.103
Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in Japan, therefore there is
no legal provision of parental leave for same-sex couples.104 Despite
this, emerging grass roots equal rights initiatives have advocated forthe rights of same-sex couples, including the non-profit Famiee
Project creating digital partnership certificates for same-sex couples
that would be recognized by businesses enrolled in the program.105

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UNITED KINGDOMIn the UK, mothers can claim Statutory Maternity Leave for up to 52
weeks.106 Two weeks are compulsory (four weeks if you work in afactory) and non-transferable and must be taken immediately after
birth or adoption.107 Maternity leave is paid up to 39 weeks.108 For the
first six weeks, it is at a rate of 90 per cent of a mother’s average weekly
earnings (before tax); and for the next 33 weeks, £151.20 per weekor 90 per cent of a mother’s average weekly earnings (whichever islower).109 Self-employed women can access maternity leave by paying
Class 2 National Insurance.110
Fathers are entitled to two weeks of paternity leave paid at £151.20,
or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).111
Further, parents are entitled to 50 weeks of shared parental leave of
which 37 are paid.112 Parents must share the pay and leave within thefirst year of the child’s birth or the first year in which a child is placedin the care of the parents.113 Parents are permitted to take leave inthree separate blocks of time or all at one time.114 Shared parental
leave is paid at the rate of £151.20 a week or 90 per cent of employee’s
average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.115
The Shared Parental Leave policy was introduced in 2015, yet theshare of fathers taking some part of shared parental leave has been
extremely low, ranging between 0.5 per cent and 2 per cent.116 The
UK Government also offers 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave to be
used for each child or adoption up to their eighteenth birthday.117 Eachparent may only take up to four weeks of parental leave per year.118
Under the Equality Act of 2010, employers are prohibited fromdiscriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation and this means they must ensure that employees who aresame-sex parents have access to the full range of maternity, paternity and other parental leave.119

UNITED STATESThe United States is the only OECD country that has no national paidleave programme for employees.120 In late 2019, congress approved
providing up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers
following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child.121

At the federal level, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides
both women and men 12 weeks of protected, unpaid job leave tocare for newborn children or ailing family members.124 However,
40 per cent of women do not qualify under the FMLA.125

In the US the state legislatures set parental leave policies. Some states
have adopted Family Leave Insurance programmes which provides
cash benefits to eligible workers with caregiving responsibilities.122
California, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island have active programmes, while others states such as the District of Columbia and
Massachusetts await programme implementation.123

The Department of Labor states that LGBTQ employees can take leave
to care for a child they are serving as a parent for (including if there
is not a legal or biological relationship to the child).126

EUROPEAN UNION
The EU Maternity Directive provides 14 weeks of maternity leave,and Member States can decide whether the maternity allowance isgranted on a mandatory or voluntary basis.127 The 2010 European
Commission’s directive on equal treatment of men and women engaged in self-employment calls on EU Member States to grant at least
14 weeks of maternity leave to self-employed women and to partnersof self-employed workers, with benefit payments that reflect prioraverage income or profit (among others).128 EU directives have supported the extension of maternity protection rights to millions of
women in the labour-market and helped to address some of the issues
concerning lack of social protection for women in new forms of precarious employment.129
Of the European Union Member States, 18 offer paternity leave and,
although the length of leave varies greatly, the average length is
12.5 days.130 All EU countries offer parental leave, but it is rarely fullycompensated.131
As with paternity leave, the amount of time available for parental leave
differs greatly from country to country. Cyprus, for example, offers 18
weeks, while Greece offers two years.132 The average is 87 weeks.133

In 2015, data available for 23 EU Member States showed that, on average, only 10 per cent of fathers were taking some parental leave.134
As of June 2016, 17 of the 28 Member States offered same-sex parents
parental leave.135
In 2019, the EU implemented the Directive on Work-life Balance for
Parents and Carers to set minimum standards for leave provisions
including:136•

A minimum paternity leave requirement of 10 days compensated at least at the level of sick pay•

A minimum two out of the four months of parental leave
to be non-transferable between parents and compensated at a level that is determined by the Member State•The introduction of five days of carer leave for each worker
per year•

The extension of the right to request flexible working
arrangements to carers and working parents of children
up to eight years old

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 7

RECOMMENDATIONS
A wide range of parental leave policies exist among G7 and EU countries, and disparities in family leave entitlements remain a barrier for
promoting the equal uptake of policies among all partners, regardlessof gender, type of family, whether individuals are in formal employment, working in SMEs or self-employed.

Implementing policies together with national awareness campaigns
and partnerships with the private sector is crucial for achieving acultural shift in normalizing the participation of men and male caregivers in the care of their children. Governments are encouraged toensure that all families are supported.

Governments can support parents by establishing family-friendly
laws and policies on maternity, paternity, and parental leave via consultations with workers, employers, the private sector and civil society,and in line with ILO standards and conventions.

CO L L E C T N AT I O N - W I D E DATA
Currently, many countries lack systematic collection, analysis andreporting on the percentage of parents entitled to leave and theuptake of parental leave policies. Great variation exists across countries in routine data-collection on the uptake of leave.137 National
data-collection based on concrete indicators is crucial for ensuringthat policies are adequate and their effect on gender equality in theworkplace is monitored. Data on uptake of leave provisions can becollected regularly to note changes in uptake that correlate withchanges in the development and promotion of family-friendly policies

and efforts for women’s retention and promotion in the labour-market. A strong attention to intersectionality should be applied whencollecting sex-disaggregated data to better understand the barriers
that those with varying backgrounds, abilities and identities experience when accessing and utilizing leave. Moreover, ensuring accurate
and reliable data accounting for varying familial models (single
parents, those in same-sex partnerships, and others) is crucial forunderstanding the needs of all families.

BROAD EN PERCEP T I O NS O F ‘ T HE FAMILY ’Given evolving family structures, adequate policies are those thatreflect the range of family models including single-parent families,
adoption, same-sex families and others.
Progress in this area has been made, specifically regarding the provision of parental leave for same-sex partners. When designing policies,

limiting policy gaps in the scope of legislation that might not guarantee the same entitlements and protections to parents with differingfamily circumstances is of the utmost importance. It is also crucial torevisit and update legislation to ensure that all types of families areequally protected under the law and qualify for all parental benefits.

EQUALIZE LE AV E PO LI CIES
To effectively encourage the equal division of care work between
parents, countries can mandate equal leave rights for all carers andencourage their uptake to support men’s equal participation to family
responsibilities and child development. The positive effects of equalizing leave policies has long-term, intergenerational effects.138
Research shows that men who report having fathers who participatedin certain forms of “traditionally feminine” domestic work are more
likely to do this work themselves as adults.139 When developing or

improving paternity and parental leave policies, offering equal, wellpaid, non-transferable and income-related leave for all parents isgood practice to encourage equal uptake of leave. Incentives such as“daddy quotas” reserve a non-transferable portion of the leave forfathers as a “use it or lose it” incentive, and inclusive policies thatreflect all types of family models can also help foster more equality inthe distribution of care responsibilities between parents.140

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PROV IDE ACCESSIBLE AND ADEQUAT E LE AV E BENEFI T S FO R ALL PAR EN T S
Paid leave policies with adequate cash benefits, when combined withaccess to good quality maternal and child health care, will alleviate
financial concerns and anxieties for new and growing families andsupport a more equal uptake of leave policies between partners.
The partner with the lower salary will no longer need to be the only
parent who takes parental leave. Paid-leave policies therefore contribute to a more balanced distribution of care duties between partners. For single-parent families, well paid leave policies ensure thatsingle parents remain financially stable as they transition into their
new role in family-life.

•
•
•
•

ILO conventions recommend cash benefits should be no less than
two-thirds of a woman’s previous earnings.141 Various funding schemes
support maternity, paternity and parental leave. ILO Convention
No. 183, Article 6(8), sets out that benefits should be paid by compulsory social insurance or public funds.142 The range of current funding
methods includes:143

Contributory schemes: employment-related social insurance
Employer liability: direct payment provided by employers
Mixed systems: a combination of contributory schemes and employer liability
Non-contributory schemes: where benefits are paid out of public funds

However, there are strengths and weaknesses with these options.
For example, individual liability for the direct leave costs by employers can foster discriminatory hiring practices whereby women are notrecruited to avoid the burden of funding future maternity leave.144
In general, the most effective financing schemes are a combinationof funding from contributions and from taxation.145 Governments canwork with the private sector to ensure that funding schemes benefit
all employees.

Adequately compensated leave policies can be extended to support
parents working in the informal and gig economy and in SMEs.
Globally, around 740 million women work in the informal economy
and therefore cannot benefit from many social protections.146
Support for all workers (including refugee and migrant workers) is
necessary as they start or grow their families.147 This includes developing strategies that encompass parents who are short-term orcontract workers and self-employed. Providing these types of workers
with secure parental leave encourages higher take-up of parental
leave and promotes family stability and financial security.

DE VELOP NATIONAL AWARENESS - R AISING CAMPAIGNS AND FOSTER PRIVATE SEC TOR PARTNERSHIPSTo promote and normalize the equal sharing of care responsibilities
and provide widespread messaging on the importance of leave provisions that are inclusive of varying familial models, public sector
leaders can ensure collaboration with the private sector to develop
national awareness-raising campaigns. For example, in 2018, the UK
Government launched the “Share the Joy” awareness-raising campaign to promote shared parental leave rights.148 This aimed to reachfamilies through digital website advertising, social media, and advertsin train stations and on commuter routes.149
The public sector can further support private sector partnerships andadvocacy initiatives. Dove Men+Care and Promundo, for example,
are convening a Paternity Leave Global Task Force, which aims toidentify and promote solutions that will result in improved access anduptake of paternity leave for all men.150 The Task Force brings progressive companies, experts, public and non-profit organizations to
identify, promote and accelerate sustainable solutions that will help
improve access to and uptake of paternity leave for all men.151

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 9

APPENDIXPARENTAL LEAVE POLICY COMPARISON CHART (G7 COUNTRIES)
MOT HER S O NLY

Full-rate equivalent

Weeks

Average pay rate (%)

Full-rate equivalentSame-sex parental leave
provisions (or protection
against workplace
discrimination for same-sex
parents seeking leave)

Canada

15.0

49.9

8.0

35 .0

53.2

18.6

Yes

France

16.0

90.4

14.5

26.0

13.7

3.6

Yes

Germany

14.0

100.0

14.0

44.0

65.0

28.6

Yes

Italy

21.7

80.0

17.4

26.0

30.0

7.8

Yes

Japan

14.0

67.0

9.4

44.0

59.9

26.4

No

United Kingdom

39.0

30.1

11.7

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

United States

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

European Union

22.1

–

–

43.7

–

–

Countrydependent

G7 Member

Average pay rate (%)

PAID PARENTAL & HOME-CARE LEAVEAVAILABLE TO MOTHERS

Weeks

PAID
MATERNITY LEAVE

Sources:OECD, Family Database, Indicator Table PF2.1, http://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm;
EIGE, Eligibility for Parental Leave in EU Member States, https://eige.europa.eu/publications/eligibility-parental-leave-eu-member-states;
Canada, “New five-week parental sharing to start in March 2019”, https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2018/09/new-five-week-parental-sharing-to-start-in-march-2019.html;
Daniel Reynolds, “Japanese companies endorse digital same-sex partnership certificates”, www.advocate.com/business/2020/4/29/japanese-companies-endorse-digital-same-sex-partnership-certificates;
Human Rights Campaign, “Family and Medical Leave Act: FMLA-Equivalent Benefit for LGBTQ Workers”, www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/family-and-medical-leave-act-fmla-equivalent-benefit-for-lgbtq-workers*

Policies are nuanced. To better understand each country’s own policy please refer to the country sections above.

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 10

APPENDIXPARENTAL LEAVE POLICY COMPARISON CHART (G7 COUNTRIES)FAT HER S O NLY

Full-rate equivalent

Weeks

Average pay rate (%)

Full-rate equivalentSame-sex parental leave
provisions (or protection
against workplace
discrimination for same-sex
parents seeking leave)

Canada

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

France

2.0

90.4

1.8

26.0

13.7

3.6

Yes

Germany

0.0

0.0

0.0

8.7

65.0

5.7

Yes

Italy

0.8

100.0

0.8

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

Japan

0.0

0.0

0.0

52.0

58.4

30.4

No

United Kingdom

2.0

19.2

0.4

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

United States

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Yes

European Union

1.7

–

–

4.5

–

–

Countrydependent

G7 Member

Average pay rate (%)

PAID PARENTAL & HOME-CARE LEAVEAVAILABLE TO FATHERS

Weeks

PAID
PATERNITY LEAVE

Sources:OECD, Family Database, Indicator Table PF2.1, http://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm;
EIGE, Eligibility for Parental Leave in EU Member States, https://eige.europa.eu/publications/eligibility-parental-leave-eu-member-states;
Canada, “New five-week parental sharing to start in March 2019”, https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2018/09/new-five-week-parental-sharing-to-start-in-march-2019.html;
Daniel Reynolds, “Japanese companies endorse digital same-sex partnership certificates”, www.advocate.com/business/2020/4/29/japanese-companies-endorse-digital-same-sex-partnership-certificates;
Human Rights Campaign, “Family and Medical Leave Act: FMLA-Equivalent Benefit for LGBTQ Workers”, www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/family-and-medical-leave-act-fmla-equivalent-benefit-for-lgbtq-workers*

Policies are nuanced. To better understand each country’s own policy please refer to the country sections above.

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 11

ENDNOTES
1.

International Labour Organization, “Care work and care jobs for the future of decent work” (2018).
Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/
publication/wcms_633135.pdf, accessed 24 September 2020.

29.

International Labour Organization, Global Wage Report 2018/19: What Lies Behind Gender Pay Gaps
(Geneva, 2018). Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/
documents/publication/wcms_650553.pdf accessed 23 July 2020.

Eurofound, Maternity leave provisions in the EU Member States: Duration and allowances (Luxembourg,
Publications Office of the European Union, 2015). Available at https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.
edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1471&
context=intl, accessed 26 July 2020.

2.

30.

United Kingdom, Gov.UK. Paternity Pay and Leave. (n.d.). Available at www.gov.uk/paternity-payleave/pay, accessed 21 August 2020.

3.

Ibid.

31.

4.

Laura Addati, Naomi Cassirer and Katherine Gilchrist, “Maternity and Paternity at Work, Law andPractice Across the World: Overview” (2014). Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/--dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_242617.pdf, accessed 26 July 2020.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Family Database, Indicator Table PF2.1.
Available at http://www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm, accessed 26 July 2020.

32.

Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “Types of leaves offered to federally regulated
employees” (2020). Available at www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/workplace/federal-labourstandards/leaves.html, accessed 27 July 2020.

33.

Ibid.

34.

Lena Reinschmidt, ‘Parental Allowance Plus and Partnership Bonus: Instruments to Foster Longterm
Paternal Involvement in Family Work in Germany’ (2018). Paper presented at the EU Mutual
Learning Programme in Gender Equality - Instruments to foster longterm paternal involvement infamily work, Germany, 4–5 October 2018. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/aid_
development_cooperation_fundamental_rights/discussion_paper_de_october2018_en.pdf,
accessed 26 July 2020.

35.

Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada “Types of leaves you can receive as an
employee working in federally regulated industries and workplaces”.

36.

Ibid.

37.

Ibid.

38.

Ibid.

39.

Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “EI Maternity and Parental Benefits: What
These Benefits Offer.” (2020). Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental.html, accessed 4 November 2020.

40.

Ibid.

41.

Ibid.

5.

Ibid.

6.

International Labour Organization, “R191 - Maternity Protection Recommendation, 2000 (No. 191)”.
Available at www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_
ID:312529, accessed 26 July 2020.

7.

UN Women, “Progress of the World’s Women” (New York, 2019). Available at www.unwomen.org/-/
media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2019/progress-of-the-worldswomen-2019-2020-en.pdf?la=en&vs=3512, accessed 23 July 2020.

8.

Ibid.

9.

Ibid.

10.

Anders Chronholm, “Fathers’ experience of shared parental leave in Sweden”, Recherches sociologiques
et anthropologiques, vol. 38 No. 2 (2007) pp. 9–25. Available at https://journals.openedition.org/
rsa/456, accessed 26 July 2020.

11.

Libby Kane, “Sweden is apparently full of ‘latte dads’ carrying toddlers — and it’s a sign of criticalsocial change” (Business Insider, 2018). Available at www.businessinsider.com/sweden-maternityleave-paternity-leave-policies-latte-dads-2018-4, accessed 26 July 2020.

12.

Babyhjalp.se, “Parental Leave” (2019). Available at: https://www.babyhjalp.se/foraldrapenning, accessed
4 November 2020.

13.

International Labour Organization, “World Social Protection Report 2017–19 Universal social protection
to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” (2017). Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/
public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_604882.pdf, accessed 25
September 2020.

42.

Ibid.

43.

Canada, “New five-week parental sharing to start in March 2019” (2018). Available at: https://www.
canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2018/09/new-five-week-parental-sharing-to-start-in-march-2019.html, accessed 4 November 2020.

14.

Laurel Wamsley, “Finland’s Women-Led Government Has Equalized Family Leave: 7 Months For Each
Parent” (NPR, 2020). Available at www.npr.org/2020/02/05/803051237/finlands-women-led-government-has-equalized-family-leave-7-months-for-each-paren

44.

Ibid.

15.

Christine Ro, “Parental leave: How rich countries compare” (BBC, 2019). Available at www.bbc.com/
worklife/article/20190615-parental-leave-how-rich-countries-compare, accessed 26 July 2020.

45.

16.

Barbara Janta, “Parenting Support Policy Brief” (The Rand Corporation, 2013). Available at https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR100/RR187/RAND_RR187.pdf,
accessed 6 October 2020.

Noah Zon and Adrienne Lipsey, “Three Simple Fixes for Paid Parental Leave” (Policy Options Politiques,
27 March 2019). Available at https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2019/three-simplefixes-paid-parental-leave/, accessed 26 July 2020.

46.

Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “EI special benefits for self-employed people”(2020). Available at www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/
self-employed-special-benefits.html, accessed 20 August 202047.

Québec, Québec Parental Insurance Plan, “Benefits table”. Available at www.rqap.gouv.qc.ca/en/
about-the-plan/benefits-table, accessed 26 July 2020.

48.

Ibid.

49.

Ibid.

Natalie Picken and Barbara Janta, “Leave Policies and Practice for Non-Traditional Families”(European Commission, 2019). Available at https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8239, accessed 20 August 2020.

50.

Ibid.

51.

Ibid.

19.

Ibid.

52.

Ibid.

20.

Iliana Magra, “Finland Plans to Give All New Parents the Same Leave” (New York Times, 2020). Availableat www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/world/europe/finland-parental-leave-equality.html, accessed
26 July 2020.

53.

Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, “Canada Child Benefit” (2020). Available atwww.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/campaigns/canada-child-benefit.html,
accessed 26 July 2020.

21.

Ibid.

54.

Ibid.

22.

UN Women, “G7 Leaders Summit 2020: Background Paper on Themes of G7 Leaders Summits(2012-2019)” (2020). Available at www.empowerwomen.org/en/resources/documents/2020/05/g7leaders-summit-2020-background-paper-on-themes-of-g7-leaders-summits-20122019?lang=en,
accessed 26 July 2020.

55.

Ibid.

56.

Other countries studied: Argentina, Brazil, Japan, the Netherlands, UK, and the US, in Promundo,”State Of The World’s Fathers Report, Unlocking The Power Of Men’s Care” (2019). Available athttps://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BLS19063_PRO_SOWF_REPORT_015.pdf,
accessed 26 July 2020.

57.

Ameli.fr, “La durée du congé maternité d’une salariée” (2020). Available at www.ameli.fr/assure/droitsdemarches/famille/duree-du-conge-maternite/conge-maternite-salariee, accessed 26 July 2020.

58.

Danielle Boyer and Jeanne Fagnani, “France country note” in Alison Koslowski and others (eds.)
International Review of Leave Policies and Research 2019.

59.

International Labour Organization and United Nations Development Programme, “Maternity
protection in the context of work-life reconciliation for men and women” (2011). Available at www.
ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---europe/---ro-geneva/---sro-moscow/documents/genericdocu
ment/wcms_306489.pdf, accessed 20 August 2020.

60.

The Connexion, “Parental Leave Rules Explained” (2011). Available at https://www.connexionfrance.
com/Archive/Parental-leave-rules-explained, accessed 27 July 2020.

61.

Elian Peltier, “France Doubles Paid Paternity Leave to 28 Days, One of Europe’s Most Generous Plans”(New York Times, 2020). Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/world/europe/francepaternity-leave.html, accessed 6 October 2020.

62.

Ameli.fr, “Adoption : les conditions du conge” (2020). Available at www.ameli.fr/assure/droitsdemarches/famille/maternite-paternite-adoption/conge-adoption, accessed 26 July 2020.

17.

18.

Katre Pall, “Estonia country note”, in Alison Koslowski and others (eds.) International Review ofLeave Policies and Research 2019 (Leave Network, 2019). Available at https://www.leavenetwork.
org/fileadmin/user_upload/k_leavenetwork/annual_reviews/2019/Estonia_2019_0824.pdf,
accessed 6 October 2020; See also WE EMPOWER, “Estonia: Employment Contracts and Family
Benefits Acts” 2020, Available at: https://www.weps.org/resource/estonia-employment-contractsand-family-benefits-acts

23.

G7 2017 Taormina, “G7 roadmap for a gender-responsive economic environment” (Council of theEuropean Union, 2017). Available at www.consilium.europa.eu/media/23560/g7-gender-roadmap.pdf,
accessed 26 July 2020.

24.

UN Women, “G7 Leaders Summit 2020: Background Paper on Themes of G7 Leaders Summits(2012-2019)” (WE Empower G7 Programme, 2020). Available at https://www.empowerwomen.org/
en/resources/documents/2020/05/g7-leaders-summit-2020-background-paper-on-themes-ofg7-leaders-summits-20122019?lang=en, accessed 9 October 2020.

25.

G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council, “Recommendations of the Gender Equality Advisory Council– G7 Summit Biarritz (2019)” (2019). Available at www.empowerwomen.org/en/resources/documents/
2019/08/recommendations-of-the-gender-equality-advisory-council?lang=en, accessed 26 July 2020.

26.

United Kingdom, GOV.UK, “Maternity Pay and Leave”. Available at https://www.gov.uk/maternity-payleave/leave, accessed 26 July 2020.

27.

European Parliament, “Maternity and paternity leave in the EU” (2019). Available at www.europarl.
europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2019/635586/EPRS_ATA(2019)635586_EN.pdf, accessed 26 July 2020.

28.

Tindara Addabbo and others, “Italy” in Alison Koslowski and others (eds.) International Review of Leave
Policies and Research 2019 (Leave Network, 2019). Available at www.leavenetwork.org/fileadmin/
user_upload/k_leavenetwork/annual_reviews/2019/Italy_2019_0824.pdf, accessed 26 July 2020.

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 12

63.

Danielle Boyer and Jeanne Fagnani, “France country note”.

64.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Family Database, Indicator Table PF2.1.

65.

Danielle Boyer and Jeanne Fagnani, “France country note”.

66.

European Commission, “Leave Policies and Practices for Non-Traditional Families” (2019). Available athttps://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8239&furtherPubs=yes,
accessed 4 November 2020

67.

ShieldGeo, “Maternity and Paternity Leave in France: A Guide for Overseas Employer” (n.d.). Available
at https://shieldgeo.com/maternity-and-paternity-leave-in-france-a-guide-for-overseas-employers,
accessed 4 November 2020.

68.

Replicon, “France Labour Compliance Guide” (n.d.). Available at www.replicon.com/regulation/francelabor-laws/, accessed 4 November 2020.

69.

International Labour Organization, “Germany Consolidation of the Federal Act on Maternity Leave
1997” (n.d.). Available at www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/WEBTEXT/45828/65052/E97DEU01.htm, accessed
27 July 2020.

70.

European Parliament, “Maternity and paternity leave in the EU” (2019). Available at www.europarl.
europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2019/635586/EPRS_ATA(2019)635586_EN.pdf, accessed 26 July 2020.

71.

Thordis Reimer, Daniel Erler, Pia Schober, and Sonja Blum, “Germany country note” in Alison Koslowski
and others (eds.) International Review of Leave Policies and Research 2019.

72.

Lena Reinschmidt, “Parental Allowance Plus and Partnership Bonus: Instruments to Foster Longterm
Paternal Involvement in Family Work in Germany”.

73.

Ibid.

74.

Ibid.

75.

Ibid.

76.

Ibid.

77.

European Commission, Long-Term Paternal Involvement in Family Work, paper presented at Mutual
Learning Programme in Gender Equality Seminar, Berlin 4–5 October 2018. Available at https://ec .europa.eu/info/publications/mlp-gender-equality-seminar-long-term-paternal-involvementfamily-work_en, accessed 26 July 2020.

78.

Lena Reinschmidt, “Parental Allowance Plus and Partnership Bonus: Instruments to Foster Longterm
Paternal Involvement in Family Work in Germany”.

79.

Aldo De Matteis, Paola Accardo and Giovanni Mammone, “National Labour Law Profile: Italy” (n.d.).
Available at www.ilo.org/ifpdial/information-resources/national-labour-law-profiles/WCMS_158903/lang--en/index.htm, accessed 26 July 2020.

80.

Arianna Santero, Instruments to foster long-term paternal involvement in family work in Italy, paper
presented at Mutual Learning Programme in Gender Equality Seminar, Berlin (4-5 October 2018).
Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/aid_development_cooperation_fundamental_
rights/it_comments_paper_de_october2018_en.pdf, accessed 27 July 2020.

81.

Tindara Addabbo and others “Italy”.

82.

Ibid.

83.

Ibid.

84.

Ibid.

85.

Ibid.

86.

European Commission, “Italy – Maternity and paternity leave allowance” (n.d.). Available at https://
ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1116&langId=en&intPageId=4618, accessed 26 July 2020.

87.

Ibid.

88.

Addabbo, T., Cardinali, V., Giovannini, D., and Mazzucchelli, S. (2019) ‘Italy country note,’ in Koslowski,
A., Blum, S., Dobrotić, I., Macht, A., and Moss, P. (eds.) International Review of Leave Policies andResearch 2019. Available at: https://www.leavenetwork.org/fileadmin/user_upload/k_leavenetwork/
annual_reviews/2019/Italy_2019_0824.pdf

89.

Ibid.

90.

Arianna Santero, “Instruments to foster long-term paternal involvement in family work in Italy”.

91.

International Labour Organization, “Japan Maternity Protection 2011” (n.d.). Available at www.ilo.org/
dyn/travail/travmain.sectionReport1?p_lang=en&p_countries=SK&p_sc_id=2000&p_year=2011&p_
structure=3&p_countries=JP&p_sc_id=2310, accessed 20 August 2020.

92.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, PF2.1 Parental Leave Systems.

93.

Ibid.

94.

Ibid.

95.

JMC, “Japan pay-roll and benefits ”, Japan Maternity and Child Care Leave. (n.d.) Available at http://
japan-payroll.com/japan-maternity-leave/, accessed 20 August 2020.

96.

International Labour Organization, “Japan Maternity Protection 2011”.

97.

Douglas Broom, “The ‘future’ prime minister of this country just made history by challenging genderstereotypes” (World Economic Forum, 2020). Available at www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/
paternity-leave-japan-government-minister/#:~:text=Japan%20has%20among%20the%20
most,fathers%20take%20any%20paternity%20leave, accessed 27 July 2020.

98.

Japan, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Outline of the Act on Childcare Leave, Caregiver Leave,
and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members.
Available at www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/children/children-childrearing/dl/act_child_2017e.pdf,
accessed 27 July 2020.

99.

Ibid.

100. Ibid.

101. Junichi Ueda and others, “Japan: Important changes to family-related leave in Japan” (Taylor Vinters,2016). Available at www.taylorvinters.com/news/japan-important-changes-family-related-leave-japan,
accessed 27 July 2020.
102. Japan, Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, Women and Men in Japan, p.11, “Rate of taking childcare leave” (2020). Available at www.gender.go.jp/english_contents/pr_act/pub/pamphlet/womenand-men20/pdf/1-4.pdf, accessed 27 July 2020.
103. The Mainichi, “Japan gov’t aims to boost paternity leave rates but concerns remain over how it’sused” (2020). Available at https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200214/p2a/00m/0na/032000c, accessed
27 July 2020.
104. Daniel Reynolds, “Japanese companies endorse digital same-sex partnership certificates” (The Advocate,2020). Available at www.advocate.com/business/2020/4/29/japanese-companies-endorse-digitalsame-sex-partnership-certificates, accessed 27 July 2020.
105. Ibid.
106. United Kingdom, Gov.UK, “Maternity Pay and Leave”.
107. Ibid.
108. Ibid.
109. Ibid.
110. United Kingdom, Gov.UK, “Maternity Allowance” (n.d.). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/maternityallowance/eligibility#:~:text=If%20you’re%20self%2Demployed,weeks%20before%20your%20
baby’s%20due.&text=If%20you%20have%20not%20paid,a%20week%20for%2039%20weeks,
accessed 4 November 2020.
111. United Kingdom, Gov.UK. Paternity Pay and Leave. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/paternitypay-leave, accessed 4 November 2020.
112. United Kingdom, Gov. UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay. Available at www.gov.uk/shared-parentalleave-and-pay, accessed 27 July 2020.
113. Ibid.
114. Kevin Peachey, ”How the UK’s New Rules on Parental Leave Work” (2015). Available at www.bbc.com/
news/business-32130481, accessed 27 July 2020.
115. United Kingdom, Gov. UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay.
116. Tina Miller, “Instruments to foster long-term paternal involvement in family work: the view from theUK” (2018). Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/aid_development_cooperation_
fundamental_rights/uk_comments_paper_de_october2018_en.pdf, accessed 27 July 2020.
117. United Kingdom, Gov. UK ”Unpaid Parental Leave”. Available at www.gov.uk/parental-leave/
entitlement, accessed 27 July 2020.
118. Ibid.
119. Philip Landau “Same-sex parenting: knowing your leave entitlement” (The Guardian, 2013). Availableat www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/same-sex-parenting-leave-entitlement, accessed
27 July 2020.
120. Gretchen Livingston and Deja Thomas, “Among 41 Countries, Only US Lacks Parental Leave” (Pew
Research Center, 2019). Available at www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/16/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/, accessed 20 August 2020.
121. Erich Wagner, ”OPM, Lawmakers Propose Fixes to New Paid Parental Leave Law” (Government
Executive, 2020). Available at www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2020/02/opm-lawmakers-proposefixes-new-paid-parental-leave-law/163115/, accessed 27 July 2020.
122. Sarah A Donovan, “Paid Leave in the United States” (Washington DC, Congressional Research Service,2019). Available at https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44835.pdf, accessed 27 July 2020.
123. Ibid.
124. United States of America, Department of Labor, “Fact Sheet #28: The Family and Medical Leave Act”
(2012) www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28.htm, accessed 27 July 2020.
125. Healthline Parenthood, “Maternity Leave in the United States: Facts You Need to Know” (October2016). Available at www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/united-states-maternity-leave-facts#5,
accessed 27 July 2020.
126. Human Rights Campaign, “Family and Medical Leave Act: FMLA-Equivalent Benefit for LGBTQ Workers”(n.d.). Available at www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/family-and-medical-leaveact-fmla-equivalent-benefit-for-lgbtq-workers, accessed 27 July 2020.
127. European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, “Directive 2010/41/EU of the European
Parliament and the Council”, Official Journal of the European Union (2010). Available at https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:180:0001:0006:EN:PDF, accessed 26 July 2020.
128. European Agency for Fundamental Rights, “Directive 2010/41/EU of the European Parliament andof the Council of 7 July 2010 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men
and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity and repealing Council Directive
86/613/EEC” (2010). Available at https://fra.europa.eu/en/law-reference/directive-201041eu-europeanparliament-and-council-7-july-2010-application-principle-0, accessed 26 July 2020.
129. European Commission, International Labour Organization, “A Century of maternity protection:
Transforming leave and care policies for a better future of work for all”, brief for event held in
Geneva, 8 November 2019. Available at www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/
documents/genericdocument/wcms_736578.pdf, accessed 27 July 2020.
130. Janna van Belle, Paternity and Parental Leave Policies Across the European Union (Rand Corporation,2016). Available at www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1666.html, accessed on 23 July 2020.
131. Ibid.
132. Ibid.
133. Ibid.
134. Ibid.

SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC POLICY • PARENTAL LEAVE | 13

135. Ibid.
136. European Commission, “EU Work-life Balance Directive enters into force” (2019). Available athttps://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=89&furtherNews=yes&langId=en&newsId=9438,
accessed 20 August 2020.
137. Peter Moss, Ann-Zofie Duvander and Alison Koslowski (eds.) “Parental Leave and Beyond: Recent
International Developments, Current Issues and Future Directions”, (Bristol, Policy Press’, 2019)138. Promundo-US, ”The state of the world’s fathers – unlocking the power of men’s care” (2019). Available
at https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BLS19063_PRO_SOWF_REPORT_015.pdf,
accessed 26 July 2020.

145. International Labour Organization, “World Social Protection Report 2017–19: Universal social protection
to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” (2017). Available at https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/
groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_604882.pdf,
accessed 27 July 2020.
146. International Labour Organization, “More than 60 per cent of the world’s employed population are
in the informal economy”. Available at https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/
WCMS_627189/lang--en/index.htm, accessed 27 July 2020.
147. UN Women. Progress of the World’s Women.

139. Ibid.

148. United Kingdom, Gov.uk, “New ‘Share the joy’ campaign promotes shared parental leave rights forparents” (30 April 2018). Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-share-the-joycampaign-promotes-shared-parental-leave-rights-for-parents, accessed 25 September 2020.

140. Janna van Belle, “Paternity and parental leave policies”.

149. Ibid.

141. Laura Addati, Naomi Cassirer and Katherine Gilchrist, “Maternity and paternity at work, Law andpractice across the world”.

150. Unilever, “Why championing paternity leave empowers men, women and business” (5 June 2019).
Available at www.unilever.com/news/news-and-features/Feature-article/2019/why-championingpaternity-leave-empowers-men-women-and-business.html, accessed 26 July 2020).

142. Ibid.

151. Dove, “Introducing the Paternity Leave Corporate Task Force” (n.d.). Available at www.dove.com/uk/
men-care/lets-champion-paternity-leave-together.html#:~:text=Dove%20Men%2BCare%20
joined%20forces,Paternity%20Leave%20Corporate%20Task%20Force.&text=The%20Task%20
Force%20will%20take,more%20men%20take%20paternity%20leave, accessed 26 July 2020.

143. Ibid.
144. Ibid.

This Spotlight on Public Policy was prepared by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen) under the WE EMPOWER – G7 Programme funded by the European Union and jointly implemented with the International Labour
Organization. The brief was led by Stephanie Dei and Nancy Mitchell with substantive contributions from Anna Fälth, Stephenie Foster, Magali Gay- Berthomieu, Carla Kraft, Diana Rusu and Mariko Saito of UN Women; Laura Addati of the International Labour Organization (ILO); Gary Barker of Promundo; Patricia Greene of Babson College; Michael Kaufman, Canadian author and senior fellow at Instituto
Promundo; and Fabian Luetz of the European Commission.

Funded by:weps.org@WEPrinciples

weps@unwomen.org@Empower_Women

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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the European Union, UN Women, International Labour Organization or the United Nations
and their Member States.