RT Journal Article
T1 Parental leave system design impacts on its gendered use: Paternity leave introduction in Spain
A1 Castellanos-Serrano, Cristina
A1 Escot Mangas, Lorenzo
A1 Fernández Cornejo, José Andrés
AB ObjectiveThe article evaluates the 2007 introduction of nontransferable and fully paid paternity leave in Spain.BackgroundPrevious research has focused on paternity leave reforms, especially in the Nordic and continental countries. This article studies characteristics of the parental leave system design, including transferability, payment, and purpose of different types of leave for mothers and fathers in a Mediterranean country.MethodWe use a quasi-experimental approach based on a sample of heterosexual dual-earner couples with children born before and after the paternity leave introduction. We estimate differences in differences regression models.ResultsThe 2007 reform caused a significant increase in fathers' number of days of parental leave. Most fathers used the whole nontransferable and fully paid paternity leave, but they hardly used transferable or unpaid leave. Mothers used all of these, especially paid leave.ConclusionThe number of nontransferable fully paid days of parental leave provided by law approximates the actual number of days most fathers used.ImplicationsThe policy design matters. A design of equal, nontransferable, and fully paid leave for each parent is necessary for equal use by fathers and mothers—and thus for gender equality in families and work.
PB Wiley
YR 2024
FD 2024-02
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/107185
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/107185
LA eng
NO Castellanos-Serrano, C., Escot, L., and Fernández-Cornejo, J. A (2024). Parental leave system design impacts on its gendered use: Paternity leave introduction in Spain. Family Relations, 73(1), 359-378
NO Special Issue:The Science of Families: Nurturing Hope, Happiness, and Health
DS Docta Complutense
RD 30 may 2025