Anger as plan to increase paternity leave on hold

Congé Parentégalité and Pour une Parentalité féministe (PA.F) launched a joint petition demanding the extension of paternity leave (congepaternite.wesign.it/fr), saying it is “a major lever for equality between women and men”.

Under the plans, new fathers would be entitled to five days off immediately after the birth of a child as well as three weeks’ leave. Currently, new mothers are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave, eight of which are mandatory, while new fathers have three days off, and can take an extra 11 days.

It is the second petition in support of extended paternity leave in less than a year. One launched in November 2017 was signed more than 58,000 times.

In January 2017, a think tank urged the government to oblige fathers to take paid paternity leave of six weeks.