Mothers receive nearly eight times as much paid leave as fathers, according to a new policy brief from UN Women and the World Bank Group, reported by UN News on 22 October. Titled From Parenthood Leave to Childcare Services, the brief surveys 190 economies and finds that mothers average 196 days of paid leave, compared with 25 days for fathers.
What the Brief Found
Per UN News, 66 of the 190 economies guarantee fathers no paid leave at all. In half of the remaining economies, fathers are entitled to less than two weeks. Mothers fare better on average, but not everywhere: in 61 economies they receive less than the 14 weeks set as a standard by the International Labour Organization, and six economies guarantee them no paid leave.
The imbalance continues after the leave ends. The brief says women spend on average 2.5 times more hours each day than men on unpaid care work. Around one in four parents also looks after older people, often with little or no support, UN News said.
Why Fathers’ Leave Features
The authors argue that leave for fathers can change the pattern of care in a household. According to the report, when fathers take leave they go on to share more childcare and housework over the longer term, and paternity leave is linked to higher earnings and employment for mothers. The brief adds that more men taking leave could reduce the “motherhood penalty” faced by female colleagues. It also cites one analysis connecting more involved fathering with better cognitive function, language, emotion regulation and behaviour in children.
The brief also points to public attitudes: recent research it cites suggests that more than 64 per cent of those surveyed would support higher taxes to expand public care services; the source does not give the sample.
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said that “care sustains our families, societies and economies, yet women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of it”. She added that closing the parenthood gap “requires equitable parental and carers’ leave”. The brief’s recommendations include adopting policies that encourage fathers to take a fair share of care, providing social protection, and building care systems that recognise men and boys as caregivers.
The calls come ahead of the International Day of Care and Support on 29 October.
Why It Matters
Leave policy is often framed as a family benefit, but the brief treats it as part of economic design: who is able to stay in paid work, who bears the career cost of caring, and how much unpaid labour the economy quietly relies on. Extending leave to fathers has budget and employer implications that governments will weigh differently, and the brief offers no single model. Even so, the size of the gap it documents gives policymakers a clear baseline from which to judge their own rules.
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