From Tokyo to Reykjavik: initiatives around the world to get dads to take their paternity leave

Japan’s postwar prosperity was built on a rigid gendered division of labor: men as tireless “salarymen” and women as housewives. As birth rates declined and more women entered the workforce, the government realized this model was unsustainable. In 2010, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare launched the Ikumen Project to encourage fathers to participate in childcare and help reverse population decline. The term ikumen derives from ikuji (childcare) and ikemen (handsome man) and basically refers to an attractive, involved man. Posters and ads depicted these dads as national heroes, as “cool men” supporting their families and the nation.

However, the question remains whether this imagery actually dismantles the gender bias. These posters are said to portray fathers as “hypermasculine icons who serve the nation through protecting the weak (children and mothers); and frame their roles more in terms of ‘support’ […] for their wives – a somewhat passive fathering model that helps to reinforce existing stereotypes and leaves the gendered division of labor largely intact”. In other words, men are praised for helping, while women are expected to manage by default. Mothers’ efforts are normalized to the point of invisibility.

In 2000, the country introduced one of the world’s most progressive parental leave laws: the 3+3+3 model - three months for each parent, plus three months to share. If fathers did not take their portion of leave, it was lost. The law aimed to ensure that every child has access to both parents and help families balance work and home life. It highly contributed to creating more gender equality in the labor market and in childcare. The numbers speak for themselves: the percentage of fathers taking leave increased from 15 % in 1998 to over 80% in 2002.

The policy’s success was largely due to its financial scheme: 80% salary coverage, regardless of income level, which made it affordable for most families. During the financial crisis, the ceiling, meaning the maximum coverage, was lowered to a point where 45% of fathers had wages above the ceiling (compared to 18% of mothers). In fact, the number of fathers taking the leave dropped by over 10%.

In 2021, Iceland extended leave to twelve months, with six months for each parent, and a portion transferable between them (5+5+2). Additionally, it was decided to gradually raise the ceiling until 2026 to almost pre-2008 levels.

On the other side of the world, Brazil’s Empresa Cidadã (Citizen Company program) incentivizes the employer. Introduced in 2008, the federal program offers tax benefits to companies that extend maternity and paternity leave beyond the legal minimum. Currently, in the private sector, fathers are entitled to just five days of paid paternity leave – extended to twenty days for companies that join the program. Mothers receive 120 days, extendable to 180 days under the same scheme. The idea is to encourage businesses to voluntarily create family-friendly policies through tax deductions equivalent to the extended salary payments. Yet, despite the benefits, fewer than 9% of eligible companies have joined, and participation is limited mainly to larger firms.

Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to gradually extend paternity leave from five to twenty days over the next four years. The initial proposal of thirty days was scaled back due to concerns about the financial impact on the Social Security system. The leave can be split in two; for this, the father must take at least half right after the birth or adoption of the child and may use the remaining days up to 180 days later. The Citizen Company program would remain in place under this law and add 15 additional days of leave and it is ensured that fathers will receive their full salary during the leave period. Nevertheless, the gradual timeline can still be delayed if fiscal targets for the federal government are not met. The Senate still has to vote on the proposal (date has not been determined) before it goes to the President for approval.

Unfortunately, there is no recipe for the perfect parental leave policy – but some ingredients are fundamental. The most evident and frequently mentioned are duration, benefits (pay) and job protection. Firstly, the duration and flexibility matter: short paternity leaves reinforce the idea that men are “helping out” and not co-parenting; especially when it requires fathers to take the leave right after birth when, usually, the mother is on maternity leave too. Leave must be long enough for families to establish routines where both parents share responsibilities equally, and flexible enough to adapt to changing situations. Secondly, leave must be paid. Unpaid or poorly paid leave is a privilege only some can afford. When pay ceilings are too low, fathers (often earning more) skip their leave. Thirdly, taking leave must be protected from any job penalties, not just suspension. In workplace cultures where men risk facing stigma, mandatory or use-it-or-lose-it policies can help normalize participation and can protect fathers from discrimination.

Furthermore, parental leave is not a zero-sum game. Communicating the benefits of gender equality measures for all genders is necessary to gain the involvement and support from all parties. Parental leave does not restrict but empowers parents alike. Finally, as for all policies, cultural contexts have to be considered. After all, gendered performance, namely masculinity and femininity, is socially and culturally constructed and, therefore, needs consideration of the specific cultural context.

Without fathers’ participation, on equal footing, with all the duties and standards that early childcare entails, there can be no real gender equality. Men are needed in this transition and they, too, stand to gain from it in terms of health, well-being, and stronger connections with their children. Parental leave is not about taking opportunities away from mothers but about giving both parents, inclusive of parents of all genders and sexualities, the freedom to share care, work, and family life on equal terms. When fathers are encouraged and expected to take leave, it challenges the patriarchal structures that have long assigned caregiving to women and breadwinning to men. It reshapes how families function, how workplaces value care, and how future generations understand equality. Children who are supported and cared for by both parents, benefit from a stronger sense of stability and security and are said to develop more self-esteem and self-worth. They also learn that caregiving is not a gendered role but a shared one and can carry on these values. A lot can be changed from where life itself begins: with the birth and upbringing of a child.