PPIINA rejected the proposal of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament
The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament proposes to extend the minimum period of maternity leave to 20 weeks. The Platform for Equal and Non-Transferable Parental Leave (PPIINA) states that this proposal, though apparently favouring women, would mean a serious step backward for their right to a high-quality job and for men’s right to be in charge of taking care of their children in equal terms. Furthermore, this would irreversibly depart from the objective of equality of paternity and maternity leaves by setting the latter to 20 weeks.
Once the maternity and paternity leaves are equal and non-transferable, both might be extended accordingly. Yet, as long as they are unequal, women will be the worst affected, since it is not possible to protect their labour rights without equal conditions with men at the moment of hiring and promotion.
Proposals of the Commission to protect women’s work contracts (for instance, with the prohibition of dismissal from the beginning of pregnancy up to twelfth month after the end of maternity leave) will become harmful and blunt “boomerangs” for all women, if employers do not acquire the same obligation towards men; especially in the current context of general flexibilization of employment. For this reason, as long as maternity and paternity leaves are not equal and non-transferable, the extension of maternity leave will increase income differences and will expel women even more from high-quality jobs.
Why should maternity leave be extended in the middle of a crisis? If it is really necessary to change our production model, what is needed are measures to make the most of women’s human capital and of men’s potential to take care of their children. To extend paternity leave in order to reach its equality with maternity leave would, thus, be highly profitable.
Why this way is not chosen, even if it had to be implemented progressively? Budget problems are assumed frequently, but interestingly, this argument is forgotten when it comes to extend maternity leave. The latter proposal reflects a consideration of female employment as an accessory and as a competition to male employment in crisis time.
European girls and boys have a right to be cared by their parents, independently of their gender, in an egalitarian family that prepares them to the world how it is nowadays. Parents need rights in order to be able to care for their children. Mothers should not need to choose between their profession and maternity. Women demand equality in work and in society. For these reasons, people in Europe have to be considered citizens with the same individual social rights. Europe has to leave behind obsolete prejudices and has to prioritize an effective equality between its female and male citizens.
On this way, PPIINA asks the European Parliament for a Directive where to urge the member States
To establish the objective of leaves for birth and/or adoption for each parent non-transferable, of the same period and with the same compulsory part.
To articulate the necessary transitory measures to progressively extend paternity leave (or of the other parent) until equality, within a reasonable time-limit, is reached.