In a landmark decision, a court in Spain's Murcia region has ruled that single parents can access the same generous paid parental leave as couples, marking a significant step towards equality in family rights.
Spanish Court Ensures Equal Parental Leave for Single Parents
Spanish Court Ensures Equal Parental Leave for Single Parents
A recent ruling grants single parents in Spain the same paid leave entitlements as couples, following a national constitutional mandate against discrimination.
Single parents in Spain are now entitled to the same total amount of paid parental leave as couples, according to a recent ruling by a court in the southeastern region of Murcia. This groundbreaking decision is a direct outcome of a constitutional court ruling from November that aimed to eliminate discrimination against children raised in single-parent families.
As part of the ruling, the Murcia court emphasized that "the duration and intensity of the need for care and attention of a newborn is the same regardless of the family model into which they were born," echoing the foundational principles outlined by the constitutional court.
This ruling means that a single parent can now apply for the full parental leave entitlement that couples receive: initially, six weeks of mandatory leave, which both parents must take together, in addition to a further ten weeks for each parent. Consequently, a sole parent acting in the role of both caregivers is eligible for a total of 32 weeks of paid leave.
Legal expert Carla Vall, based in Barcelona, stated that this ruling sets a precedent, enabling new parents across Spain to leverage this decision when applying for similar benefits. "Now this doctrine means that the rest of the courts are going to adopt this reading of rights," she asserted in a phone interview.
The social rights minister, Pablo Bustinduy, hailed the ruling as a significant win for civil society, emphasizing a long-standing struggle for equal treatment in parental rights. This decision could have profound implications for the ever-growing number of single-parent families in Spain, fostering a sense of equity within family structures.
As part of the ruling, the Murcia court emphasized that "the duration and intensity of the need for care and attention of a newborn is the same regardless of the family model into which they were born," echoing the foundational principles outlined by the constitutional court.
This ruling means that a single parent can now apply for the full parental leave entitlement that couples receive: initially, six weeks of mandatory leave, which both parents must take together, in addition to a further ten weeks for each parent. Consequently, a sole parent acting in the role of both caregivers is eligible for a total of 32 weeks of paid leave.
Legal expert Carla Vall, based in Barcelona, stated that this ruling sets a precedent, enabling new parents across Spain to leverage this decision when applying for similar benefits. "Now this doctrine means that the rest of the courts are going to adopt this reading of rights," she asserted in a phone interview.
The social rights minister, Pablo Bustinduy, hailed the ruling as a significant win for civil society, emphasizing a long-standing struggle for equal treatment in parental rights. This decision could have profound implications for the ever-growing number of single-parent families in Spain, fostering a sense of equity within family structures.
