Parental Leave Policies and Gender Equality : A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between parental leave policies and maternal employment among mothers with children aged 0-2 years in 26 OECD countries, with a particular emphasis on maternity leave duration, paternity leave uptake and men’s share of parental leave. Descriptive statistics, multiple regression models, and scatter plots with quadratic fits were used in the analysis which shows a non-linear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between maternity leave duration and maternal employment rate. This suggests that highest rates of maternal employment are associated with moderate leave durations roughly 50-70 weeks. Likewise, paternity leave has a favourable but diminishing effect on maternal employment rate, with most favourable effects occurring between 8 and 15 weeks. Additionally, data from 12 countries show that a higher share of men taking parental leave is correlated with increased maternal employment rates, highlighting the importance of shared caregiving responsibilities. According to the findings, moderate leave policies may better encourage mothers to enter the workforce, hence promoting more gender equality in the workplace. The study suggests that gender equality in the workforce and in caregiving duties can be improved by encouraging fathers to take leave and making sure that parenting responsibilities are distributed more fairly. In order to promote shared caregiving and balanced maternal employment, policymakers are urged to create inclusive, well-paid and non-transferable paternity leave policies.