Can Public Policies Break the Gender Mold? Evidence from Paternity Leave Reforms in Six Countries

Libertad González
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Libertad Gonzalez

No 1422, Working Papers from Barcelona School of Economics

Abstract: We investigate the impact of paternity leave policies on gender role attitudes in the next generation. We measure gender-stereotypical attitudes using an Implicit Association Test with 3,000 online respondents in six countries. Using an RD design, we observe a significant reduction (-0.21 SD) in gender-stereotypical attitudes among men born post-paternity leave implementation. This shift influences career choices, as men whose fathers were affected by the reform are more inclined to pursue counter-stereotypical jobs, particularly in high-skilled occupations like healthcare and education. Our findings highlight how paternity leave fosters egalitarian gender norms and affects the occupational choices of the next generation.

Keywords: regression discontinuity; paternity leave; gender norms; female-dominated occupations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J08 J13 J16 J18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-gen, nep-hea and nep-lab
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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