Parental leave is essential to enable new parents to balance their work and family responsibilities. However, it can affect employment opportunities and gender equality.
A more balanced uptake of family-related leave will depend on the availability of accessible, affordable and high-quality care services. These are essential to enable parents and caregivers to be part of the workforce.
Inequalities in work–life balance policies, or unequal uptake of the opportunities offered by such policies, maintain gender stereotypes and the gender care divide.
