And dad stayed at home
by Laura Sciolla Traditionally, it is the mother who takes care of the children, especially in the first months of life. Yet the desire to encourage fathers to choose fatherhood is gaining ground: a real life experience, which allows you to truly become part of your children's emotional space, as well as lay the foundations for a new social role.BUT WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN ITALY TODAY?
In the Bel Paese, mandatory paternal leave is currently set at two working days, fully paid. With the
The Budget Law, which has been in force since 2018, provides for the addition of an additional day to the two optional days, for a total of five. The goal would be to reach 15 mandatory days.
Currently, however, Italian dads do not seem to exploit the option to its fullest potential: the data confirm that, in the regions with the highest public employment (primarily Sicily and then Lazio and Sardinia), the number of dads who ask to stay at home with children is high (20-25%), while in regions such as Veneto or Lombardy, where private enterprise is prevalent, the percentage settles at around 1.8%.
WHAT ABOUT EUROPE?
In the states of the European Union, with the exception of Austria and Germany, paternity leave exists, albeit in a
diversified: 20 days for Portugal, 30 in Lithuania, up to 54 days in Finland, the longest period in Europe.
In some countries parental leave may be shared between parents, for example in Cyprus and Denmark; in others 
they represent an individual right, as in Italy, while in Portugal, Sweden and Norway parental leave includes two parts, one that can be used in a shared way and another that can be exploited individually.
However, it has been noted that, where parental leave can be taken partly by the father and partly by the mother, the use made by fathers is rather low. The data rises when leave is presented as an individual right and is well paid. Like for example in Norway, where the salary is almost 100%.
