The Glass Ceiling at Home: How Parental Leave Policies Perpetuate a Culture of Sexism

Abstract

The United States is one of few countries that does not offer any paid parental leave to its citizens, yet nearly half of the families in the country are ones in which both parents work. Societally speaking, the expectations placed upon mothers and fathers regarding responsibilities in the home are often unequal – and they have been this way for decades. Despite major shifts in the labor force gender breakdown, little has been done to better accommodate dual-worker families or encourage changes in how mothers and fathers care for their families. The expectations regarding home responsibilities fall into the category of gender roles, and are often an expression of sexism. The lack of paid parental leave policies cause unnecessary difficulties for working parents that perpetuate sexism in the workplace as well as at home. To combat the issue of sexism in the greater American culture, changes must be made in workplaces and government across the country regarding the accessibility of paid maternity and paternity leave.