Paternity leave: A balance after almost ten years since its inception

Abstract

In March 2017 the tenth anniversary of the establishment in our country parental leave, figure whose main objective is to promote responsibility in caring for children. The aim of this paper is to analyze what has been the actual level of success of this figure –from both quantitatively and qualitatively–, and its current configuration (both in the private sector and the public sector) and judicial debates they have emerged over the years. This analysis leads to the conclusion that it is necessary to go a step further about this permit, equating its duration and conditions to maternity leave, setting their partially mandatory, flexible form of enjoyment and regulating new family situations arising the new family models. Also, it is urgent to really advance the social revaluation of care tasks and the conviction that the care of children is a task for men and women.