Pregnant Then Screwed has turned the iconic Antony Gormley statues on Crosby Beach in Liverpool into ‘dads’ to highlight how fathers are ‘left out at sea’ with paternity leave in Europe.
The stunt is taking place at the same time of the Labour Party conference, also in Liverpool, to put pressure on politicians to implement ‘meaningful’ parental leave reform for ‘struggling families'.
‘Babies’ have been strapped to the front of five out of 100 statues on Crosby Beach to represent the 5 per cent of dads who access shared parental leave in this country. A ‘piercing’ sounds of a distressed baby cry will also play as a metaphor for families ‘cry for help’ from political parties as they debate future policy reform.
The stunt will take place from 1pm today (Sunday 8 October), ahead of a Pregnant Then Screwed fringe event. Later, the ‘babies’ will move inside the conference venue wearing baby grows with slogans including:
- Longer paternity leave = healthier mums
- Longer paternity leave = a more productive workforce
- Longer paternity leave = smaller gender pay gap
- Longer paternity leave = kids do better in the education system.
Research on parental leave
According to Pregnant Then Screwed, just 18 per cent of ‘Brits’ and 8 per cent of Labour voters think that two weeks of paternity leave is enough and one in five dads can’t afford to take any paternity leave at all.
Research by the campaign group and The Centre for Progressive policy and Women in Data found that countries with more than six weeks of paid paternity leave have a 4 per cent smaller gender wage gap and a 3.7 per cent smaller labour force participation gap.
Carried out earlier this year, it also suggested that closing gender employment gaps in all UK authorities would increase economic output by £23 billion. And, when fathers and partners take paternity leave, it supports the mother’s return to the labour market, as well as supporting the mental health of both parents.
Government urged to reform parental leave
Pregnant Then Screwed is calling on the Government to increase the length of non-transferable paternity leave to a minimum of six weeks and to pay it at 90 per cent of income in line with current statutory maternity pay. It also wants existing maternity rights enhanced to reduce financial hardship, the gender employment gap and the gender pay gap, while improving the educational outcomes for children.
It argues that paternity leave should be available to all working dads and partners.
The campaign group has also launched a petition on the issue which has received 125,000 signatures.
'We are so far behind other countries on parental leave, it is embarrassing'
Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said, ‘We are so far behind other countries on this it is embarrassing. Politicians talk a good game about closing the gender pay gap, supporting families and improving outcomes for children yet we have the worst paternity benefit in Europe, one of the worst maternity benefits and a crumbling childcare system.
‘All of the evidence shows that increasing paternity leave and paying at a decent percentage of salary is good for the economy and good for society.
‘Just as the Liberal Democrats did at their Party conference, we hope Labour will show their commitment to these policies, placing families at the heart of their vision for a better Britain.’
