It's mandatory in Germany in the sense that employees are entitled to it, but they don't have to take it. The time off is paid by the state (in proportion to th

It's mandatory in Germany in the sense that employees are entitled to it, but they don't have to take it. The time off is paid by the state (in proportion to the previous year's salary and bonuses) not the employer. However because sexism is more complicated than just lack of equal access, parental leave is still mostly taken by women and women still find it harder to get back into regular employment after extended periods of maternity leave. I know several mothers who planned to have children and go on maternity leave and because of this accepted jobs that pay the bills but aren't places they enjoy working and now face the prospect of having to go back to a job they hate or have a second or third child (only to then have to either go back to a job they not only hate but also haven't done in years or find a new job with a multi-year gap in their resumé). For this to really change will likely take generations because the behavior and the social expectation of that behavior are mutually reinforcing.