Making Latte Dads and Working Mums: The Case for Gender Equality through Parental Leave Policy Reform in the EU

The doctoral research project undertakes a feminist analysis of the European Union's parental leave framework in order to assess its contribution to equality between men and women in family life and the labour market. The project argues that, rather than encouraging social change, current EU legislation reinforces traditional gender roles to the disadvantage of both mothers and fathers. The project then makes a case for comprehensive legislative reform of the main sources of law - the Pregnant Workers' Directive and the Work-Life Balance Directive - by proposing a feminist parental leave framework which would achieve the EU's stated aim of gender equality and further address inequalities at the intersection of gender and race, class, and sexuality.