Eliminating gender stereotypes in exercising the right to parental leave under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Abstract

Child upbringing is a shared responsibility of both parents, but gender stereotypes tend to pose the burden of this responsibility onto women alone. Consequently, the state has an important role in taking appropriate measures to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women. This includes promoting a proper understanding of the common responsibility of men and women in the upbringing of their children, according to article 5 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The right to parental leave is one mechanism to eliminate discrimination against women, but granting these rights to both parents alone may not be adequate, considered that social norms cause men to choose to forgo these rights or to use them sparingly. This article studied cases from Sweden, Norway, and Iceland to identify appropriate measures that do not lead to discrimination against women. This study found that designing measures with gender equality in mind can lead to changes in traditional gender stereotypes of people and society.