While America fights over maternity leave, The Economist talks up paternity leave

The Economist touts the benefits of paternity leave
(Image credit: The Economist/YouTube)

The U.S. is the only country other than Papua New Guinea that doesn't guarantee women maternity leave after they have a baby — a point John Oliver used to shame America a few weeks ago. The Economist goes a step further and looks at the benefits of allowing new fathers to take a few weeks off, too. In Denmark, for instance, 90 percent of dads take more than two weeks off after the birth of a child, for example, and everyone seems to benefit.

In one study, fathers who took paternity leave "were more likely to feed, dress, bathe, and play with their child long after the period of leave had ended," The Economist notes in the video below, and their kids — especially daughters — did better in school, up through at least high school. The third beneficiary of paternity leave? "Women's careers." Not persuaded? Watch below. —Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.