Abstract
In 2019, the European Union (EU) adopted legislation establishing the right to paternity leave for fathers and second parents, advancing the equitable distribution of caregiving responsibilities and gender equality in labor markets. This paper examines why Italy and Spain—two Southern European Member States with shared historical, cultural, and religious legacies—have diverged significantly in their paternity leave entitlements: Spain offers nineteen weeks of full-paid paternity leave, while Italy provides just two. This paper finds that Spain’s more expansive paternity leave policy reflects higher levels of descriptive representation, effective interest group dynamics, and positive policy framing, with institutional design and cultural norms playing a secondary role. More broadly, these findings highlight the importance of feminist actors gaining institutional access to translate progressive principles into progressive policy, supported by social democratic parties willing to institutionalize reform. As the push for gender equality persists globally, these findings also suggest that strong female representation and sustained feminist engagement—both inside and outside government—are essential to advancing these goals.
DOI
10.5642/urceu.KXYO8704
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Camacho, Ricardo
(2026)
"A Mediterranean Puzzle: Paternity Leave Divergence in Italy and Spain,"
Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union:
Vol. 2026, Article 4.
DOI: 10.5642/urceu.KXYO8704
Available at:
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu/vol2026/iss1/4
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