Andorra Accelerates Paternity Leave to 20 Weeks by 2030

Andorran lawmakers have accelerated the timeline for equalizing paternity and maternity leave, aiming to reach 20 weeks for fathers by 2030—four years ahead of the government's original eight-year plan.

The agreement emerged during parliamentary work on the bill for promoting equality of treatment and opportunities between women and men in the workplace, which covers birth leaves, adoptions, and foster care. Currently set at four weeks, paternity leave will rise progressively: to six weeks in 2026 upon the law's entry into force, expected in May after April approval by the Consell General. Exact increments for 2027-2029 remain under discussion in the Social Affairs and Equality Commission, with a final text due next week.

Opposition parties—Concòrdia, Partit Socialdemòcrata, and Andorra Endavant—pushed amendments criticizing the initial schedule as too slow, proposing timelines as short as three years. The government had argued for gradual rollout to manage an estimated €19.5 million annual cost increase. Mireia Porras, head of the Equality Policies Department, defended such measures as "positive discrimination" to speed up social change beyond education alone, promoting work-life balance. Secretary of State for Equality Mariona Cadena welcomed the productive commission talks, saying acceleration to 2030 "could be possible" while deferring to parliament on details. She described the reform as key to effective equality, shared care, and viewing caregiving as central to collective well-being.

This builds on Thursday's International Women's Day event at Andorra la Vella's Congress Centre, hosted by the Equality Department. It featured a screening of Celia Molina's Goya-nominated short *Cuarentena*, portraying birth and postpartum struggles, followed by a panel with women's groups, experts, and officials including Porras and Cadena.

Speakers addressed motherhood's physical, emotional, social, and professional impacts, citing data that 86% of women handle primary childcare. Porras highlighted "lights and shadows," from difficult births and reorganizations to "superwoman" expectations in work and family. Laia Ferré of Acció Feminista urged stigma-free spaces, noting demands for full functionality post-quarantine despite exhaustion. Elvira Geli of the Dones association decried judgments over breastfeeding, work returns, or time at home.

Panelists called for 50-50 parental roles, longer paternity leaves, teleworking, and support for families unable to pause careers or afford help. Attendees included government representatives, Comú members, the Andorran Women's Institute, and civil society.

Separately, women's associations criticized remarks Tuesday by Andorra's permanent representative in Geneva, Ferran Costa, before the UN Human Rights Committee. Defending medical treatments abroad due to Andorra's size, he likened abortion access to chemotherapy performed externally—a comparison deemed "frivolous" by Stop Violències president Vanessa Mendoza, "shameful" by Geli, and risky for misinterpretation by Andorran Women's Institute president Judith Pallarés. Mendoza noted women self-fund abortions without CASS coverage, unlike cancer care, and cited historical convictions. Pallarés contextualized the statements as government-scripted, amid delays in decriminalization pledges. Geli called for an apology at the UN.