Reflections on the latest Spanish reform of parental leave
Once the Royal Decree-Law 6/2019 of 1 March, incorporating and including the new configuration for parental leave, has been completely rolled out, Spain will have obtained formal equality between men and women with respect to said leave. Starting from a description of reality in the country regarding gender biases in the labour and domestic spheres and with the support of the specialised literature, this article argues why the reform of parental leave, although it should make a contribution in the path towards effective equality, does not look to be enough for improving the current situation in a significant way. Working from this information, the way in which a new reform should be conceived is also proposed, and there is a reflection on whether a country such as Spain could pay for its cost. Finally, there is an analysis of the need for a double involve- ment of the state and the business world, along with the need for obtaining the requisite disruptive change, not only in terms of democratic qualities but also in terms of competitive advantage in the new socioeconomic paradigm.
ODS
Alba Edo JovéA graduate in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, she also holds a Master’s in Human Resources Management with Distinction from the Open University of Catalonia. Her work “Parental leave policies as a key element for breaking the glass ceiling and ending the wage gap” obtained the prize for the best Master’s Dissertation in Human Resources Management, as well as the best dissertation concerning gender studies in the competition for the Master’s Dissertation prizes in Economics and Business Studies at the UOC during the 2018-2019 course.
