COFACE member Ligue des familles is calling for stronger policies to promote equal parenting from the very beginning of a child’s life, highlighting how current family leave systems continue to reinforce gender inequalities.
Through its campaign “Pour une égalité parentale dès la naissance” (Equal parenting from birth), the organisation is advocating for reforms that ensure both parents can share childcare responsibilities more fairly. According to the Ligue des familles, existing family leave arrangements remain insufficient and contribute to unequal outcomes between mothers and fathers. Short birth leave, non-mandatory leave for fathers or co-parents, and parental leave that is often poorly paid all contribute to inequalities that emerge from the first days after a child’s birth.
To support its advocacy, the organisation commissioned a national survey with the research institute Dedicated. The survey gathered responses from 1,003 parents of children under the age of 12 (or under 21 in the case of children with disabilities). Parents identified better-paid family leave as their top priority and expressed strong support for equal leave rights for all parents, regardless of gender, employment status, or whether they are biological, adoptive, or foster parents.
The findings also reveal persistent risks of gender imbalance in how leave is taken. Even when leave could be shared between parents, many respondents indicated that women would still end up taking the majority of it. This dynamic risks reinforcing existing inequalities, particularly in terms of women’s careers, financial independence, and long-term pension outcomes.
Based on these results, the Ligue des familles has developed a set of recommendations outlining parents’ expectations for reforming family leave policies. These proposals have been presented to ministerial cabinets responsible for the issue, with the aim of influencing future policy developments and ensuring that gender equality remains at the centre of family policy debates.
The organisation also continues to raise awareness about the broader societal implications of unequal parenting responsibilities. When mothers are expected to take on most of the care work, this often affects their participation in the labour market and contributes to long-term economic inequalities between women and men.
As part of its advocacy efforts, the Ligue des familles has encouraged families and supporters to mobilise for gender equality in family policies, including through participation in events and public discussions on women’s rights and parental equality.
Through this campaign, the Ligue des familles hopes to ensure that becoming a parent no longer undermines gender equality. By advocating for better-paid and more balanced leave systems, the organisation aims to support families while also promoting fairer sharing of care responsibilities between mothers and fathers from the very start of a child’s life.
Read more about their campaign and study here.
