I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Linnaeus University. I have a master’s degree in Political Science and a degree in Sociology by the University of Barcelona. My research interests are policymaking, social policy, gender policy, the welfare state and EU policymaking and its implementation in the member states. In my dissertation I study the shift of parental leave policies over time in two EU member states -Portugal and Spain- focusing on how the different regulations on these policies problematize the unequal participation in childcare and in the labour market among women and men. I aim to explain why and how parental leave has changed in light of the actions of national actors and the influence of the EU on domestic legislations.