In July 2025, the Labour Government committed to a once in a generation review of parental leave, honouring Labour’s Manifesto pledge to “best support working families”. The Parental Leave Review represents a rare opportunity for the Government to introduce substantial reforms to our outdated system of parental leave. It couldn’t come sooner, as the UK is one of the ‘least family friendly’ countries in Europe (UNICEF). Never have we had this opportunity to truly change lives for parents, children and families when it comes to parental leave – we’re unlikely to get it again.

Led by the Fawcett Society and Movember, organisations across the women’s, men’s and family sectors have come together with academics and experts to call for a parental leave system that works for all families. We deserve a system that doesn’t push parents into poverty, respects the work of taking care of a new baby with proper pay, and supports equality, not gender stereotypes.

POLICY ASKS FOR A PARENTAL LEAVE REVIEW SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE

Taken together, the following asks, listed in no particular order, are intended to improve the parental leave system to advance gender equality, support the health of parents, carers, and children, and help all parents and carers with the costs of having a family. They should do this by enabling parents to participate more equally in both paid work and caregiving, while ensuring that no family is excluded from adequate support.

To achieve this, the system must reflect and work for the diversity of all families, including single parents, kinship carers, adoptive parents, parents with a disabled child, and parents facing serious illness, by closing the gaps that currently exclude them from adequate leave and pay entitlements.

The Review is due to conclude at the end of 2026. We’re calling on the Government to commit to the following measures:

A COLLECTIVE VOICE

Charities, academics and experts have come together to make a collective call on the Government to fix parental leave

Charities and Networks

Unions

Universities, Academics and Individuals

Joeli Brearley

Growth Spurt

Heejung Chung

King’s College London

Margaret O’Brien

University College London

Emma Banister

University of Manchester

Jamie Atkinson

Manchester Metropolitan University

Krystal Wilkinson

Manchester Metropolitan University

Helen Norman

University of Leeds

Mark Gatto

University of Northumbria

Patricia Hamilton

University of York

Anna Tarrant

University of Lincoln

Joanna Clifton-Sprigg

University of Bath

Susan Milner

University of Bath

Michelle Weldon-Johns

Abertay University

WHO HAS CONVENED THIS EFFORT?

Recognising the need to speak with one voice as a sector, the Fawcett Society and Movember commissioned Future Advocacy to bring together a small group of organisations to prioritise a list of policy asks that would advance gender equality and lead to a fairer parental leave offer for parents. This group was made up of Movember, the Fawcett Society, the Trades Union Congress, the Women’s Budget Group, the Dad Shift, Pregnant then Screwed, the Fatherhood Institute, and Working Families. The group came together and prioritised the asks listed above based on their submissions to the consultation.

The group has now been joined by a broader group of organisations.

SIGN UP

Does your organisation back these asks? Add your voice to our collective action by getting in touch with parentalleavereview@futureadvocacy.org