Paternity leave, 80% of men consider 10 days inadequate

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There is a new generation of men who ask to exercise their right to fatherhood and who systematically see this right denied. We are talking regarding fathers who want to be there, to build a daily relationship with their children, giving their contribution for inclusion in nursery school or for visits to the paediatrician. Requests that struggle to cross the very narrow channel of compulsory paternity leave. That is to say: 10 paid days of absence from work, usable from 2 months before the expected date of birth to the following 5 months. After these 10 days, parenthood effectively transforms into motherhood, that is, it is the women who become, by right, the main responsible parties for the new arrival in the family.

A practice which, according to the latest survey carried out by the D Observatory of Valore D and SWG, is completely anachronistic, so much so that almost 80% of men consider the 10-day leave to be “totally inadequate”. As many as 3 out of 5 men would like to be able to take advantage of paternity leave extended from 1 to 3 months, in order to be more present at the birth (38%). 79% of men and 81% of women consider paternity leave positive for the balance and general well-being of life and the couple, 77% of men and 80% of women consider it useful for growth personal and development as a parent.

The right to be fathers

New fathers, therefore, overturn the perspective: being able to experience fatherhood and seize the opportunity to create a strong bond with their children is a right, not a duty. Once once more, a very strong sign of the evolution of the times and of how the new generations impose a change of pace, largely determined also by previous experiences. Many of them, in fact, are the children of men who exercised fatherhood only on Sundays or during summer holidays. And the confirmation is in the data: 67% of people in the 18-34 age group believe that it is good that fathers can also take care of young children, without being stigmatized.

Cultural resistance

Although sentiment in the country is changing, in fact, there remains resistance in a (minority) part of public opinion: 22% of those interviewed by Valore D think that paternity leave should be limited because «the care of the newborn is the exclusive competence of mothers in the first months of life”. From here to the child penalty, i.e. motherhood which turns into a real penalty for women’s careers, it is a short step.

«There is still a lot to do from a cultural point of view to undermine those fears that see paternity and maternity leave as a brake on one’s career – comments Barbara Falcomer, general director of Valore D. – The cultural references must change, in this the The legislator can do a lot by providing equalization of parental leave, but until then companies can activate policies that promote shared parenting.”