Gender disparity in parental leave impacts women's careers and global economy

A joint report by UN Women and the World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and the Law’ project reveals a significant global imbalance in parental leave. Across 190 economies, the average mother receives 196 days of leave, while the average father receives only 25 days.

In 66 countries, there are no provisions for any paid paternity leave. In half of the remaining countries, paternity leave is less than two weeks. This disparity reinforces the social expectation that childcare and domestic duties are primarily women's responsibilities.

Experts warn that this imbalance acts as an invisible barrier to women's professional advancement. When women are forced out of the workforce or limited to certain roles to manage family care, the global economy faces potential losses of trillions of dollars in GDP.