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International overview of fathers and leave based on 2012 review . Peter Moss Institute of Education University of London. Past. Maternity leave (Germany, 1883) Childcare leave (Hungary, 1967) Parental leave (Sweden, 1976) Paternity leave (?, ?) Common pattern: ML+PL+Pat L
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International overview of fathers and leave based on 2012 review Peter Moss Institute of Education University of London
Past • Maternity leave (Germany, 1883) • Childcare leave (Hungary, 1967) • Parental leave (Sweden, 1976) • Paternity leave (?, ?) Common pattern: ML+PL+Pat L But some recent developments
Past • From three leaves to single Parental leave with quotas for mothers and fathers and family, e.g. Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden • ‘Maternity’ leave for fathers, e.g. Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, UK • Compulsory Paternity leave in Portugal
Present (33 countries in 2012 review) • Paternity leave (usually paid and c.2 weeks): • 16/25 European countries; 2/8 others+Quebec • Parental leave • 24/25 European countries; 5/8 others • But how does Parental leave treat fathers? • European countries (24): individual entitlement – 10; bonus – 3; both – 4; neither – 7 • Other countries (5): individual entitlement – 1; neither - 4
Present Importance of ‘well-paid’ ‘father only’ leave • ‘Father only’ leave • 22/25 European countries...1 month to 3 years, median=3.6 months • 2/8 other countries + Quebec...0.25-1.2 months • ‘Well paid’ ‘father only’ leave • 15/25 European countries...2 days to 7.9 months, median = 0.5 months (4 have 2 months+) • 0/8 other countries; Quebec = 0.7-1.2 months
Future Is there any longer a case for ‘gendered’ leaves as represented by Maternity and Paternity leave? Or should they be replaced be a single Parental leave, with equal quotas for women and men? (Do reproductive biological differences between women and men justify, on health and welfare grounds, a separate leave just for women - a Maternity leave? Or is this needlessly damaging to women’s economic and social opportunities, encouraging discrimination?)
Future Will we improve the design of leave policies? Leave design matters: bad design (e.g. France, UK) ensures fathers do not use leave; good design (e.g. Iceland) leads to substantial but not equal take up
Future Can the focus on Parental leave distract from the larger issue? The need to re-think and re-form the relationship of care, employment and gender over the lifecourse more equality in family care and formal care services, for young and old How do we avert a crisis of care?