60 research outputs found
How well do European child-related leave policies support the caring role of fathers?
Our chapter analyses the extent to which European countries (1) recognize the caring responsibilities of fathers toward their children and (2) value fathers' caring role. To do so, we analyze the designs of individual leave policies and reflect on them by assessing available data on leave uptake by fathers in 13 European countries. Our results show that there is great variation in child-related leave designs across Europe. Our findings, in line with previous work, underscore the importance of generous individual non-transferable leave entitlements. Moreover, our findings bring forward aspects of leave designs that are rarely discussed when considering fathers' leave uptake. Our results indicate that generous non-transferable leave rights should be paired with (a) clearly defined leave periods for fathers, (b) individual entitlement to benefits, and (c) greater scope for flexibility to increase the attractiveness of child-related leave and to strengthen fathers' position when negotiating their childcare leave.</p
Dual-Earner Family Policies at Work for Single-Parent Families
Family dynamics are changing and single-parent families are becoming more common across countries. In their flagship report âProgress of the Worldâs Women, 2019â2020,â UN Women (2019) demonstrated that, contrary to popular belief, couples with children do not constitute a majority of all families, but rather there are many different types of families. Single parenthood is considered a ânew social riskâ in poverty and inequality (Bonoli, 2013). Therefore, policy makers and legislators have designed targeted policy specifically for single parents, such as targeted child benefits to single parents. In addition, legislation and social policy have been designed and implemented specifically for single parents, such as child support and family law such as child custody and shared residence. This study takes a different approach, based on the universalist argument that without adequate social protection that benefits all families, those families that are more vulnerable are often hit the hardest. We focus on family policies, and specifically we examine whether and to what extent single parents benefit from the same family policies that are available to all families with children
Employment Protection and Parental Child Care
I examine if employment protection affects parental childcare. I find that a softer employment protection has a substantial effect on how parents use and divide paid childcare between them. The identification relies on a reform that made it easier for employers in Sweden to dismiss workers in small firms. I estimate that a softer employment protection reduces the total days of parental childcare in targeted firms, measured as total days of parental leave or temporary parental leave. Both a sorting effect and a behavioral effect can explain the reduced childcare. I also find evidence of a redistribution effect of paid parental childcare within households if only one partner was affected by the reform. I interpret the redistribution effect as a way of evading an external cost on the child
Fathers on Leave Alone in Portugal: Lived Experiences and Impact of Forerunner Fathers
In Portugal there has been a continuing enhancement of fathersâ leave entitlements
over the last two decades. Policy goals have underlined the improvement of workfamily
balance for both parents and the well-being of the child as well as the promotion
of gender equality, in particular through the increased involvement of fathers in
child care. The last reform of the parental leave system, in 2009, addressed all these
objectives but put a strong emphasis on fatherhood and gender equality by increasing
paternity leave to 4 weeks of fully-compensated leave (taken with the mother
after childbirth) and, more importantly, by introducing a 1-month âbonus schemeâ in
case of gender sharing of leave (Wall and LeitĂŁo 2014 ).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Shared parental leave and the sexual family: the importance of encouraging men to care
This paper considers how shared parental leave could achieve its aim of encouraging fathers to provide care. I will argue that achieving this ambition is dependent upon the legislation continuing to be available only to those performing a parenting role, when two parents are providing childcare. Despite the problems with the two parent family model, it should be retained temporarily because it has unique potential to encourage men to care, as highlighted by Swedish legislation. This is the most effective way to challenge gender inequality. Shared parental leave should only be made available to a wider category of carers after men have been given a realistic chance to care. Widening access earlier risks reinforcing womenâs association with caring work
The Effect of Gender Policies on Fertility: The Moderating Role of Education and Normative Context
In this paper, we aim to assess the extent to which individual-level completed fertility varies across contexts characterized by policies supporting different gender division of labor models. We examine key labor market and care policies that shape gender relations in households and in the public domain. We also consider the role of gender norms, which can act as both a moderator and a confounding factor for policy effects. We hypothesize that, by facilitating role compatibility and reducing the gendered costs of childrearing, policies that support gender equality lead to an increase in fertility levels and to a reduction in fertility differentials by the level of education. Using individual-level data from the European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions for 16 countries, combined with country-level data, we analyze completed fertility through multilevel Poissonâs models. We find that the national level of childcare coverage is positively associated with fertility. Family allowances, prevalence of womenâs part-time employment and length of paid leaves were also found to be positively associated with completed fertility, though the associations were not statistically significant. These variables show a significant positive pattern according to education. A high number of average working hours for men are negatively associated with completed fertility and show a strong negative pattern by educational level. The prevalence of gender-egalitarian norms is highly predictive of fertility levels, yet we found no consistent evidence of a weaker association of gender-equality policies in countries where egalitarian values are less prevalent
Similar negotiations over childcare? : A comparative study of fathersâ parental leave use in Finland and Sweden
Fathersâ leave use is promoted in many countries, but so far with different success. Major explanations of different usage revolve around economic bargaining between parents and economic constraints in the household. By using extensive register data from 1999â2009 in Finland and Sweden, this study asks whether fathersâ use of parental leave in the two countries is determined by the same socioeconomic characteristics on the individual and the household level once we control for sociodemographic factors. Striking similarities in what influences fathersâ use of leave in the two contexts are found, even though leave is used at very different levels and the policy design differs remarkably. Generally, fathers with a similar income level to the mother use leave the most, but in high-income households the motherâs higher income leads to the highest propensity of fathersâ leave take-up. The results indicate that equal bargaining positions are associated with fathersâ leave use but also that mothersâ stronger position often facilitates fathersâ leave. We conclude that the role of gendered bargaining positions should be studied in interaction with the level of resources in the household
Summary of Key Findings from WP9: Policies and Diversity over the Life Course
This document summarizes the main findings from the research carried out in Workpackage 9, Policies and Diversity over the Life Course, within the FamiliesAndSocieties project. We present key results from our studies (1) on policies directed to young people at the transition to adulthood and self-sufficient living, (2) on preferences, usage, and consequences of parental-leave and fathersâ leave policies on family dynamics; (3) on the legal family formats for same-sex and/or different-sex couples in European countries, (4) on the emergence of private markets and issues of migration and care, and (5) on European Union family-policy initiatives. In our summary, we focus on policy-relevant findings and in particular on those of broader implications for policies, policy directions, and policy design in Europe at large. In concluding we summarize some of the core policy implications of our studies.See also www.familiesandsocieties.eu and www.lawsandfamilies.eu. Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)320116Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a pluralist worl
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