Mothers around the world receive nearly eight times as much paid parental leave as fathers, leaving women to shoulder most caregiving responsibilities at a cost to families, children and economies, according to new UN data published on Thursday.
On average, mothers receive 196 days of paid leave, compared with just 25 days for fathers, according to a policy brief by UN Women and the World Bank Group.
Of the 190 economies surveyed, 66 guarantee fathers no paid leave at all. In half of the remaining economies, fathers are entitled to less than two weeks.
Mothers also lack adequate protection in many countries. In 61 economies, they receive less than the 14 weeks of maternity leave recommended by the International Labour Organization (ILO), while six economies guarantee them no paid leave.
“Care sustains our families, societies and economies, yet women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of it,” said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, deputy executive director of UN Women.
Sharing the caregiving burden
The policy brief, titled From Parenthood Leave to Childcare Services, finds that the gap in parental leave affects family life long after parents return to work.
When fathers take parental leave, they are more likely to share childcare and household responsibilities over the longer term. This helps ease the burden on women, who spend an average of 2.5 times as many hours per day on unpaid care work as men.
Paternity leave is also associated with higher earnings and employment rates among mothers. Greater participation by fathers in caregiving could help reduce the “motherhood penalty” experienced by women in the workplace.
Children can benefit as well. One analysis linked more involved fathering to better cognitive development, language skills, emotional regulation and behaviour.
Recent research also indicates that men increasingly want to take a more active role in caregiving. More than 64 per cent said they would support higher taxes to expand public care services.
Care responsibilities extend beyond parenthood
Caregiving responsibilities often continue beyond raising children. Around one in four parents also care for older people, frequently with little or no support.
Closing the parental leave gap requires equitable parental and carers’ leave, alongside policies that encourage fathers to take their fair share of caregiving and strengthen social protection, Gumbonzvanda said.
Ahead of the International Day of Care and Support on 29 October, UN agencies are calling for care systems that challenge discriminatory gender norms, recognise men and boys as caregivers and promote equal responsibilities among family members.