Paid paternity and parental leave urged to tackle work gender divide

CALLS FOR the introduction of paid paternity and parental leave have been renewed following the publication of a report showing women still do the bulk of unpaid care and housework despite their increased participation in the paid labour force.

The report, Gender Inequalities in Time Use, jointly published yesterday by the Equality Authority and the ESRI, shows women work on average 39 minutes per day more than men when paid and unpaid work are taken into account. The authors examined time diaries from just over 1,000 men and women, aged 18 to 97, kept for four months in 2005 as part of the National Time Use survey.

Presenting the report, co-author Dr Frances McGinity of the ESRI, said care work was “undervalued” and there was a “taken for grantedness” about it.

Niall Crowley, chief executive officer of the Equality Authority, said the report revealed a “situation of disadvantage and inequality for women”. “Paid paternity leave and paid parental leave need to be introduced to ensure a take up by men and to stimulate a greater involvement by men in caring and household work.”

Director of the National Women’s Council, Joanna McMinn, called for all different types of caring to be recorded in the census. She also called for paid paternity and parental leave.

A spokesman for the Minister for Justice said the level of paternity and maternity leave was currently under review.