BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL DUTY AND FAMILY DUTY: PATERNITY LEAVE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MILITARY POLICE OF PARANÁ

Abstract

This article aims to analyze paternity leave within the Military Police of the State of Paraná (PMPR), questioning the relationship between the functional duties of military police officers and their family responsibilities, especially in the period immediately following the birth of a child. The research adopts a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, based on a literature review and documentary analysis of legislation, institutional norms, and national and international academic publications on paternity, public family policies, and public safety. The results show that the current five days of paternity leave are insufficient in view of the physical, emotional, and organizational demands that characterize the postpartum period, as well as the widely recognized benefits of active paternal participation for child development, maternal health, and family balance. It was also found that other public security institutions and countries have already made progress in expanding and making this right more flexible. It is concluded that the modernization of paternity leave in the PMPR, through legally viable and administratively compatible measures, constitutes a legitimate strategy for people management and social investment, capable of strengthening the military police, the institution, and public security itself.