- Home
- Editorial
PATERNITY LEAVE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY IN INDIA
Young Bites. Dated: 1/16/2020 11:04:28 AM
India remains among the 90 out of the 187 countries in the world that do not have national policies to ensure that new fathers get adequate paid time off with their babies. In 2015, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared that he would be availing a two-month paternity leave, it was still a novel concept. Since then, a lot has changed across the world. Recently Japan minister Shinjiro Koizumi became first to announce paternity leave. Koizumi, a media-savvy 38-year-old married to a former television anchorwoman, told a ministry meeting it had been a difficult decision to balance his duties as minister and his desire to be with his newborn. By law, Japan offers comparatively generous parental leave to employed workers. Both parents can take up to a year off, with additional renewable six-month periods if a nursery place is unavailable. But only six per cent of fathers take parental leave, compared to more than 80 per cent of mothers who use their allowance beyond the mandatory eight weeks after birth. And of those men who take any leave, more than 70 percent are away for less than a fortnight. In India, the concept of paternity leave is new and many men don’t even avail it, even if they get it. It’s more about the mindset than companies or laws. Also, new parents here have a huge support system, be it the parents or domestic helps. Fathers in our country do not feel pride in saying that they are availing paternity leave, as a result most of them do not avail it. In India 15 Days of Paternity Leaves is given to Central Govt Sector Employees and Banks. Paternity Benefit Bill 2017 is Pending at Parliament, Once this Bill Passes Even Private Sector Employee will Also Get Paternity Leaves. As per survey 80% men in India feel that changing nappies, bathing and feeding children were a woman’s job. But with the changing times when both the partners are working, it is responsibility of both to take care of baby. Paternity leave should be enhanced and should be applicable to all the employees so that baby gets good care from both the parents.