Progress towards gender equality in paid parental leave: an analysis of legislation in 193 countries from 1995–2022.

Gender inequality in infant caregiving contributes to gender inequality in paid work, especially since workers often become parents during pivotal career stages. Whether women and men have equal access to paid leave for infant care can meaningfully shape patterns of caregiving in ways that have long-term economic impacts. We used a longitudinal database of paid leave policies in 193 countries to examine how the availability of paid leave for infant caregiving for each parent, the duration of leave reserved for each parent, and the existence of any incentives to encourage gender equity in leave-taking changed globally from 1995 to 2022. We find that the share of countries globally providing paid paternity leave increased four-fold from 13% to 56%, while the share providing paid maternity leave increased from 89% to 96%. Nevertheless, substantial gender disparities in leave duration persist: only 6% of the total paid leave available to families was reserved for fathers and an additional 11% of paid leave was available to either parent. Building on the global progress in providing paid leave to fathers over the past three decades will be critical to advancing gender equality at home and at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]