The annual seminar of the International Network on Leave Policies and Research

The event was organized by the Department of Demography and Geodemography at Charles University as part of its involvement in the PRINS project funded by the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme (OP JAK): https://www.prins-opjak.cz/. The seminar was led by Professor Jiřina Kocourková, who has long represented the Czech Republic within the International Network on Leave Policies and Research.

The seminar, entitled “Parenting Leaves, Equality, and Social Sustainability: Emerging Research Agendas,” focused on current issues in family policy from an international comparative perspective. Against the backdrop of demographic change and declining fertility rates, experts discussed the impact of parental leave policies on gender equality, the role of fathers in childcare, and broader questions of demographic and social sustainability.

A substantial part of the first day’s programme was devoted specifically to parental leave arrangements and their impacts in the Czech Republic. Jiřina Kocourková and Anna Šťastná presented the paper “Does Parental Leave Matter for Fertility? Insights from Czechia”.

The two-day programme also featured presentations of numerous international studies examining inequalities in access to parental leave and the consequences of changing labour market conditions. The seminar provided a unique platform for sharing knowledge, connecting research agendas across countries, and exploring sustainable solutions for achieving a better balance between work and family life.