Paper #1879

Título:

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

Autores:

Sébastien Fontenay y Libertad González Luna

Fecha:

Enero 2024

Resumen:

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 (-0.20 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.

Palabras clave:

gender norms, paternity leave, female-dominated occupations, regression discontinuity

Códigos JEL:

J08, J13, J16, J18

Área de investigación:

Economía Laboral, Pública, de Desarrollo y de la Salud

Descargar el paper en formato PDF (933 Kb)