Andorra Accelerates Paternity Leave Equality to 20 Weeks by 2030

Andorran lawmakers are advancing plans to equalize paternity and maternity leave at 20 weeks by 2030, four years ahead of the government's original timeline, as work continues on a bill to promote workplace equality.

The Social Affairs and Equality Commission is finalizing details of the legislation, which covers leaves for birth, adoption, and foster care. Paternity leave will rise from four weeks to six in 2026 after the law takes effect in May, following expected April approval by the Consell General. Intermediate increases for 2027-2029 remain under discussion, with a complete draft due next week. Opposition parties Concòrdia, Partit Socialdemòcrata, and Andorra Endavant pushed for quicker rollout, including three-year options, despite government estimates of €19.5 million in annual costs.

Equality Policies Department head Mireia Porras described the measures as "positive discrimination" to speed up social change beyond education, promoting work-life balance, family, personal, and professional reconciliation. On Thursday, Secretary of State for Equality Mariona Cadena said the commission's efforts were productive and expressed confidence in a strong final text. Asked about the accelerated 2030 target—originally set for 2033—she noted it could be feasible while deferring to parliament for final terms.

Feminist groups welcomed the faster pace as a step toward real equality and shared childcare responsibilities, amid Andorra's childcare shortages and low birth rates. Associació de Dones d’Andorra member Patty Bafino called it progress from the initial eight-year plan, though immediate implementation would be ideal given state budget constraints. Acció Feminista's Elisabet Royuela stressed that extended paternity leave lets fathers engage fully in raising children, easing mothers' burdens and benefiting society.

The push follows 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 2025 short *Cuarentena*, depicting postpartum struggles, followed by a panel with women's groups, experts including a midwife from Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell, and officials like Porras and Cadena. Speakers addressed motherhood's physical, emotional, social, and work impacts, citing data that 86% of women handle primary caregiving. They criticized "superwoman" expectations, breastfeeding stigma, return-to-work pressures, and postpartum depression linked to societal roles. Panelists, including Elvira Geli of Associació de Dones and Laia Ferré of Acció Feminista, called for stigma-free spaces, equal parental involvement, remote work options, and policies to redistribute care from day one. Cadena closed by tying the bill to broader shared responsibility.

Separately, women's groups continue criticizing remarks Tuesday by Andorra's Geneva representative Ferran Costa to the UN Human Rights Committee. Defending outsourced medical services, Costa compared women traveling abroad for abortions to those seeking chemotherapy, citing information support and no sanctions. Critics, including Stop Violències president Vanessa Mendoza and Geli, rejected the analogy as frivolous and shameful, noting self-funded abortions lack CASS coverage unlike cancer care. Andorran Women's Institute president Judith Pallarés urged separating rights issues from procedures. Concòrdia sought government clarification Wednesday, while Partit Socialdemòcrata leader Susanna Vela filed an urgent March 12 question. Foreign Affairs Minister Imma Tor defended Costa as contextualizing microstate limits and reaffirmed decriminalization efforts. The UN praised other advances but flagged abortion concerns.