France will double paid paternity leave from 14 to 28 days from Thursday. It is one of the most generous measures in Europe aimed at getting fathers more involved in raising children.

The law, which was passed by parliament late last year and comes into force on Thursday, makes it compulsory to take at least one week of paternity leave.

It also applies to the second parent in same-sex couples, both men and women.

France introduced paid leave for new fathers in 2002, but only seven out of ten fathers take it, despite many studies showing that the presence of both parents after the birth of a child has many positive effects.

Last September, President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for more leave, calling it “mainly a measure to promote equality between men and women.”

Most of the cost – about 500 million euros ($593 million) a year – would be covered by France’s social security system, with employers only required to pay for three days of leave.

Of the 27 EU member states, 23 offer paternity leave of at least ten days from 2019, to be introduced by an EU directive in August 2022.

However, there are big differences: Germany, Slovakia, and Croatia do not offer guaranteed leave for new fathers, while Spain offers up to 16 weeks of leave from this year.

Some countries, such as Iceland and Sweden, have shared leave, where parents can share a certain number of days.

In the US, paternity leave is not required by law, but some states, such as California and New York, allow it.

“When you can be with your child every day, you become more sensitive and attentive and develop your parenting skills,” said Isabelle Filliozat, a psychotherapist and vice-chair of the 1,000 First Days committee, which has called for nine weeks of paternity leave.

However, she welcomed the changes as a first step to encourage more fathers to take leave, especially the mandatory one-week leave, “which helps them negotiate with their superiors.”