Closing the gender employment gap in UK local authorities would increase economic output by £23bn or 1% of GDP, according to campaigners.
The Centre for Progressive Policy CPP, Pregnant then Screwed and Women in Data say increasing paid leave for fathers would help close the gap between average pay for men and women.
Their report, Leave in the lurch: Paternity leave, gender equality and the UK economy, says the UK has the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe and no parental leave options are available to one in five fathers following the birth or adoption of their child.
They are calling on the Government to increase paternity leave to a minimum of six weeks and to pay it at 90% of income in line with current statutory maternity pay.
They say: 'New CPP analysis of OECD data finds that countries with more than six weeks of paid paternity leave have a 4 percentage point smaller gender wage gap and 3.7 percentage point smaller labour force participation gap than countries that have less than six weeks.
'Closing the gender employment gap in all UK local authorities would increase economic output by £23bn (approximately 1% of GDP).'
Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, comments, 'We finally have evidence that boosting paternity leave will reduce the gender pay gap, improve the health of both parents and it will benefit the economy.
'Paternity leave is not a luxury but a necessity.'
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