France's president wants to extend paternity participation

French President Francis Hollande is proposing legislation to put more fathers on paternity leave, and wants to increase aid to single parents whose partners fall behind on child support. 

President Francois Hollande is proposing legislation to put dads on paternity leave and help single parents who aren't receiving child support. Here, Hollande attends at meeting at 'Force Femmes', an association that helps unemployed women in Paris. March 8.

Reuters

March 8, 2013

France's president is proposing legislation to get more dads on paternity leave and moms back to work faster.

Francois Hollande, a never-married father of four, also wants more state aid for single parents whose partners fail to pay child support.

Hollande linked the proposals to International Women's Day on Friday. Hollande has made a point of promoting women's rights, naming an equal rights minister and making half of his Cabinet female.

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His proposed parental leave law would allow fathers to take up to six months of paid leave after the birth of a child and extend other long-term parental leave benefits to fathers.

While most French mothers work, their salaries, pensions, and career prospects can suffer from taking long maternity leave.

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