Responding to the Department of Trade and Industry's Choice and Flexibility consultation, which closed last week, Working Families said it was disappointed that there were not enough proposals for fathers in their own right.
It believes fathers should have their own legal rights, which are not dependent on the mother.
Chief executive Sarah Jackson said the document seemed to be 'based on the assumption that the mother should be the primary carer and the father the primary earner. Although this does reflect present reality for a majority of families, it is troubling if we are serious about enabling both parents to realise their full potential at home and at work; about tackling the gender pay gap; and about tackling poverty among older women.'
Working Families also said it was disappointed that there was nothing in the plans about strengthening the requirements for the right to request flexible working.
Ms Jackson said, 'Without the protection of an extended and strengthened right to request flexible working, the otherwise welcome proposals to extend childcare provision from 8am to 6pm may have unwelcome results. Few parents would wish to see their own long working hours translated to long hours in childcare for children.'
The Equal Opportunities Commission also criticised the idea of transferable maternity leave, which it said makes the assumption that the responsibility for caring for children lies with the mother.
The EOC's response said that it was 'a serious omission' that there were no plans in the consultation 'to increase the length of statutory paid leave for new fathers in their own right'.
And in the longer-term the EOC said it recommended introducing statutory pay for parental leave.
As well as proposing to increase maternity pay and leave for new parents the Government has also been consulting on extending rights to parents with older children and those caring for sick or disabled relatives.