The Federal Commission for Family Affairs (EKFF) has launched a proposal to create 24 weeks of parental leave, four of which would be reserved for fathers. GeCoBi welcomes this initiative because it brings renewed momentum to an important issue for all parents.
Switzerland is one of the few countries in Europe that provides only marginal support for parents in childcare. According to the Swiss Federal Commission for Family Affairs (EKFF), Switzerland spends 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product on social benefits for families and children. Only the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Poland have comparably low figures. The Scandinavian countries are at the top, spending up to three times more on families. Social spending on families is also significantly higher in Germany, Austria, and France.
Shared parenting can only thrive if parents are provided with the necessary financial and legal framework. Parents need time to be there for their children, in addition to their professional commitments. This is especially true for fathers – particularly when they no longer live with the mother. We therefore support efforts to grant fathers the same childcare options as mothers and to strengthen parental responsibility. For this reason, the Icelandic model serves as an inspiration. In Iceland, both mothers and fathers receive three months of mandatory parental leave. In addition, one parent can take three more months – they decide which one. They receive 80% of their previous salary for this additional leave.
While the EKFF (Swiss Federal Commission for the Promotion of Agriculture) proposes financing its initiative solely through increases in payroll taxes or value-added tax, we call for more creativity in the search for funding sources. In particular, we believe it is appropriate to question whether Switzerland needs one of the highest levels of agricultural subsidies. We see significant potential for savings there; the freed-up public funds would be better invested in future-oriented initiatives such as child education.
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