Fathers should be entitled to the same amount of parental leave as mothers so more women can return to work, parents' charities claim. Children's charity UNICEF and Parents at Work called on the federal government to support the proposal for 'gender-balanced leave policies'. Mothers are allowed 18 weeks of leave with minimum wage, but fathers are only allowed two weeks. Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the gap in parental leave led to more women becoming the primary carer in 2017. Fathers should be entitled to the same amount of parental leave as mothers so more women can return to work, according to advocacy groups