Andorra Accelerates Paternity Leave to Match 20 Weeks by 2030
Parliament reaches cross-party deal to extend fathers' leave from 4 to 20 weeks four years ahead of schedule, starting with 6 weeks in 2026.
Key Points
- Current: 4 weeks paternity vs 20 weeks maternity.
- Extension: Gradual rise to 20 weeks by 2030, starting 6 weeks in 2026.
- Opposition wanted parity by 2027; compromise shortens from 8 to 4 years.
- Applies to births, adoptions, fosters; bill approval targeted for April.
Andorra's parliament has reached a cross-party agreement to accelerate the extension of paternity leave, bringing it in line with maternity leave at 20 weeks by 2030—four years sooner than the government's original timeline.
The deal emerged during discussions in the Social Affairs and Equality Commission on amendments to the government's bill promoting equal treatment and opportunities between women and men in the workplace. Currently, fathers receive four weeks of paternity leave, while mothers get 20 weeks. The executive had proposed a gradual increase of two weeks per year over eight years to manage an expected additional cost of €19.5 million. Opposition parties—Concòrdia, the Social Democratic Party (PS), and Andorra Endavant (AE)—criticised the pace as too slow, with PS and AE pushing for full parity by 2027 and Concòrdia calling for completion within three years.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: