Majority of countries guarantee paid paternity leave — but not the U.S.
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Sixty-three percent of countries around the world provide guaranteed paid parental leave for fathers, according to a report out Tuesday morning from the World Policy Analysis Center.
Why it matters: Though support is growing for paternity leave, there's still a stigma attached to men who take time off to care for their children. Yet, studies find numerous benefits for the economy, for fathers, and for their partners.
- "There is widespread recognition that we don't solve gender equality without dads getting leave," says Jody Heymann, founding director of the policy center and a UCLA distinguished professor of public health and public affairs.
The big picture: Back in the 1990s, only 46 countries had a paid leave policy for fathers, largely high-income nations, per the policy center's data. Now the number is nearly three times as high.
- Conspicuously absent from the list: The U.S.
Worth noting: The U.S. is also one of just seven countries in the world that does not guarantee paid maternity leave.
- The other countries are the small island nations Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga.
Go deeper: Listen to the Axios Today podcast, where host Niala Boodhoo and Erica Pandey talk about how accessible paternity leave is for men in the U.S.
