Parental Leave and Beyond: Recent International Developments, Current Issues and Future Directions

Leave for parents is a key component of public policy in many countries, with potential impact on child and family well-being, gender equality and labour markets. This volume brings together contributors from 19 countries - in Europe. Asia and North and Latin America - to provide international perspectives on this field. The first part looks at recent developments in leave policy in eight countries, from Poland to China, paying particular attention to the politics of leave policy, including what drives and impedes change. The second examines a number of current issues in leave policy, including flexibility in policy design, gender equality including fathers’ usage, and relationships between leave and related policy fields. The third looks to possible future directions if leave policy is to address the major challenges facing 21st century societies, including leave as a lifecourse approach and as a universal social entitlement.