Maternity Leave Reform (2011)

Abstract

Staab provides an in-depth analysis of the political process that led to the extension of maternity leave under the administration of Sebastián Piñera (2011–2015), the first right-wing president after two decades of center-left rule in Chile. She argues that the somewhat counterintuitive introduction of more generous maternity leave regulations under a market-liberal government was highly contingent. Growing social mobilizations, waning support for the government, and Concertación’s new role in the opposition upset the habitual political practices, including the pre-legislative formation of informal bipartisan agreements, and gave way to a more deliberative politics. A decidedly maternalist framing also contributed to an outcome that strengthened the rights of working mothers. At the same time, however, this framing left little space for explicit gender equity measures, such as father quotas. As a result, leave arrangements remain based on the assumption of different rights and responsibilities.