Paternity Leave Could Help Reduce Sexist Attitudes: Study

Published in the journal, American Political Science Review, their work focused on the extension of paternity leave in Estonia, where the new parental leave policy tripled it to 30 days paid at 100%, as of 2020, according to data presented by the European Parliament. The team of scientists specifically conducted two studies in the country: the first focused on parents and future parents who have benefited from the reform, and the second was conducted among a representative sample of the national population before the implementation of the reform. The aim was to determine the potential new life choices of parents impacted by the extension of paternity leave, but also to observe the reactions of the population as a whole — before and after the reform — to sexist statements such as “men make better political leaders than women do” or “a preschool child is likely to suffer if his or her mother works.”

The researchers report that the first survey suggests that parents eligible to benefit from the reform had a greater propensity to support gender equality in the social and economic spheres than those who had children before the policy took effect. The difference between the two groups is about 20% of a standard deviation, say the researchers. In the same vein, parents who gave birth to children after the reform was implemented were more likely to support women who wanted to become involved in politics. “Gender norms and biases are hard to overcome because they are so deeply ingrained in our society. Extending caregiver leave for fathers, however, has the power to decrease gender biases because it disrupts traditional gender roles and promotes less stereotypical ones,” explains study first author, Margit Tavits.

However, while women impacted by the reform were more inclined to support actions aimed at favouring or promoting women to the detriment of men, the latter did not follow the same trend. “Researchers found no such increase in support for positive action by men,” reads a news release accompanying the study. On the other hand, the second study, conducted among the general population, showed no change in attitudes towards support for such policies or gender equality.

“Our results show that direct exposure to progressive social policy can weaken sexist attitudes, providing governments with a practical and effective tool to reduce harmful biases,” said Margit Tavits. “The former policies perpetuated the belief that women were the main caregivers of young children. By offering a benefit that can be accessed only through the choice of a nontraditional caring role by men, fathers’ leave directly challenges mothers and fathers to conceive of their social roles in less stereotypical ways. Casting men and women in roles that contradict stereotypically gendered expectations provides alternative social role associations for each group and promotes less unequal perceptions of the essential attributes of women and men,” she added.

While further and broader work is needed to determine the actual benefits of extending paternity leave, the researchers conclude that “other policy interventions that broaden gender roles” could do even more to advance gender equality.