Fathers from the very beginning: the experience of the 4e-parent European project

We know that the early and active involvement of fathers increases the wellbeing of children, as well as that of the couple. We know that higher oxytocin production in fathers who take care of their children is associated with reduced aggressiveness and a lower risk of gender-based violence. We know that concrete, practical support reduces mothers’ withdrawal from the labour market, promoting gender equity and, at the same time, supporting birth rates. We know that many fathers would be willing to take longer parental leave if it were better paid and if they did not fear negative consequences for their careers. But we also know that a growing number of companies are adopting gender-equal parenting policies, making it possible for motherhood and fatherhood to be genuinely shared.

Finally, we know that despite this evidence – now increasingly supported by research and by the experience of other countries – Italian politics still struggles to engage seriously with the choices that could change what it means to be a parent in Italy today. This is happening in a country where the decline in births continues relentlessly, with a 34.1% decrease since 2008, the year in which the number of live births exceeded 576,000, and where the average number of children per woman has fallen to 1.2, well below the replacement rate.

Challenging cultural backwardness

The European 4e-parent project, which has just concluded and in which Zadig was responsible for all communication and training activities, addressed these issues by producing a substantial body of information and shared experiences, creating videos and podcasts, building a network among the various professional figures involved in different aspects of parenthood, and attempting an advocacy initiative in connection with the discussion of the 2025 national budget law.

This last objective was the only one not fully achieved. Although the proposal attracted interest from political representatives across the spectrum, in practice the suggested reform of paternity leave did not pass. It was not even discussed, as it was among the amendments rejected outright.

This raises an obvious question: what prevents policymakers from extending paternity leave beyond the meagre 10 days that place Italy among the lowest-ranked countries in the EU?
The problem appears to be primarily cultural: a reluctance to move away from a traditional family model, with the father as the breadwinner and the mother staying at home to care for the children.

A shared package of concrete measures

And yet, in an effort to shake this inertia, so often marked by good intentions and limited action, the 4e-parent project developed a package of measures shared with the various stakeholders, including companies. The first proposal was to extend mandatory paternity leave from the current 10 working days to 22, with at least 10 days to be taken consecutively within the first month after birth (by way of comparison, Spain has long provided 16 weeks, six of which are mandatory). In addition, fathers should be guaranteed leave to accompany their partners to necessary medical appointments during pregnancy.

More challenging, but crucial if policies are to reflect the realities of today’s parents, was the proposal to extend eligibility for paternity leave to freelance fathers enrolled in the separate social security scheme. The estimated cost of the measures proposed by 4e-parent was around €1.5 billion—a reasonable figure (at least before the push towards rearmament, which, if implemented, will severely reduce social spending), especially when considered for what it is: an investment with the prospect of significant returns in terms of the wellbeing of future generations and families, social justice, reduced gender-based violence, and benefits for the national economy, as well as support for birth rates.

For the time being, this effort has not succeeded. Together with the more than 100,000 people who have visited the project’s website and social media channels – still active – we must resign ourselves to marking yet another Father’s Day that offers today’s fathers very little of real substance.