Paid parental leave has expanded significantly in recent years, from just 2 days in 2019 to 15 weeks today. The idea: if both parents spend more time at home, mothers get a fairer chance in the labour market. But does it actually work out that way in practice?

UvA researcher and young father Zichen Deng and his colleague Coen van de Kraats uncovered something worrying: because employees receive only 70% of their salary during leave, families with lower incomes often cannot afford to take it. Policy designed to help families ends up widening inequality. And that goes unnoticed without independent research.

Without this research, policy decisions are made based on assumptions and lobbying, while children bear the consequences for years to come.

Give young researchers the space to keep asking questions.

Donate today and contribute to research that makes society stronger. For every child.