Today, the UK Government formally responded to a petition from the Fatherhood Institute calling for fathers and second parents to be given a right to six weeks’ paid leave in a baby’s first year. This would have consisted of two weeks’ paternity leave, plus an extra four weeks’ non-transferable parental leave paid at 90%. A modest proposal.

It wasn’t a surprise that the Government’s response started off by saying there are no plans to extend paternity leave or pay. But what was laughable was the assertion just after that “the UK has a generous system of parental leave and pay entitlements”. Perhaps they were thinking of Lithuania, where dads get 30 days of paternity leave at 78% of regular earnings. Or Sweden with its 480 days of shared leave at a minimum of 80% of regular salary.

Estonia offers two weeks of paternity paid at 100% plus an additional 435 days of shared leave.

Iceland’s system combines maternity and paternity leave to a total of 12 months, split equally, and paid at 80% of salary.

Norway offers 15 weeks at 100% pay or 19 weeks at 80% through social security.

Portugal, Slovenia, Norway, Spain, France and Canada all have more generous paternity and parental leave systems than the UK.

Parental leave in the UK is unequal. Inadequate paternity leave and shared parental leave means mothers are still shouldering the burden of childcare. In the three months to June 2021, 92.1% of fathers with dependent children were in work compared to just 75.6% of mothers with dependent children. This is a significant difference that is not mirrored by men and women without dependent children for whom the employment rate differs by only 2%.

The current policy discriminates between parents and by presupposing mothers will be the primary caregivers whilst fathers will be breadwinners. This status quo is, at least in part, responsible for the gender pay gap. Reforming parental leave to provide equal access to both parents would improve gender equality, develop close bonds between children and fathers, and have a positive impact on parental mental health.

We’re going to keep banging the drum on this until we see a significant change in policy, whether from this government or the next.