Spain recently equalised paternity and maternity leave at 16 weeks - but did fathers take advantage of the new policy? The answer is a resounding yes. Libertad Gonzalez, Lidia Farre, Claudia Hupkau and Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela write that when paternity leave is mandatory, non-transferable and fully paid, fathers respond. This shows how policy design matters for gender equality.

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23 July 2025

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LSE Business Review

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https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2025/07/23/well-designed-paternity-leave-makes-spain-a-model-of-success/

This Blog is published under the centre's Labour programme.

This publication comes under the following theme: Gender in the labour market