Parental Leave Policies and Social Sustainabilities

The Action aims to advance and disseminate research and knowledge about the significance of paid parental leave (PPL) for the social sustainability of societies. Our aim is to set the scene for future PPL research from the new perspective of social sustainability while making the field more coherent across disciplines and beyond academia. The main challenges are to build the network, identify and fill gaps in PPL research, develop a future-oriented and cross-disciplinary PPL terminology, and facilitate future research by closing the PPL data gap. Five Working Groups (WGs) will be established to focus on: (1) The development of a theoretical framework; (2) the identification of social inequalities through PPL policies; (3) the relevance of PPL for child development; (4) providing a future-oriented PPL terminology and (5) the expansion of PPL data.

The initial network will consist of 32 members from 22 countries. The Action is dedicated to making the network more interdisciplinary, involving more Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC), Near Neighbour Countries (NNC) and International Partner Countries (IPCs), and attracting participation from Young Researchers. The network will actively engage in efforts to minimize the gender gap in European PPL research and also ensure timely and close collaboration with Specific Organisations relevant to PPL research and policymaking. To fill the PPL data gap, stakeholders from European survey organizations will be approached. The network will disseminate knowledge of PPL policy as a component of social sustainability for academics at all career stages as well as for stakeholders from Specific Organisations, policymakers, companies, and the broader public.