‼️Key takeaways‼️
Early evidence suggests that expanded paternity leave can ease the motherhood penalty only where intrafamily equality already exists. Legal parity opens the door — but household dynamics determine who walks through it.

(⚠️short-term effects⚠️)

One more 📊 Subjective perceptions: 59% of mothers say they sacrificed more career opportunities than their partner — and the reform does not significantly shift this perception. Even with longer paternity leave, most women continue to feel the weight of the motherhood penalty.

👨‍🍼A central mechanism is increased father involvement: in equal-income couples, the share of mothers who said paternal caregiving helped them return full-time jumped from 5% to 36%.

📈 … in equal-earning couples, the reform makes a clear difference. Mothers return to work sooner and more often in full-time positions: immediate return rises 51% → 70%, and full-time return 47% → 62%.

Overall, the reform did not make most mothers return to work earlier, nor did it generally increase full-time employment after leave. BUT…🤔

💭👨‍💻We analyse one of Spain’s most ambitious social reforms — the 2021 equalisation of maternity and paternity leave to 16 fully paid weeks — and ask a key question: Can expanded paternity leave reduce the motherhood penalty?