LONDON, Sept 16 - Just five major companies allow all mothers and fathers to share a full year of paid parental leave, a workplace equality organisation said on Monday, as rights groups said closing the gap would combat discrimination towards women.
"Parenthood should not be a barrier in anyone's career," said Equileap's chief executive Diana van Maasdijk. Only about half of 187 countries now offer statutory paid paternity leave, usually for a few days or weeks, according to Promundo, a U.S.-based organization trying to engage men and boys more in promoting gender equality and preventing violence.
Equileap analysed about 3,500 companies with a market capitalisation of more than $2 billion for its 2019 Global Report on Gender Equality, which will be published next month.