Should men get paternity leave in India?, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has urged the Union government to consider a formal law recognizing paternity leave for all fathers, whether adoptive or biological.
• The court noted the importance of both parents in a child's formative years, highlighting the "injustice" of fathers being relegated to the periphery.
• Currently, only 10% of India's workforce in the formal sector is eligible for maternity leave benefits.
• The Central government offers its employees two weeks of paternity leave, while some multinational companies offer up to three months.

Detailed Insights:

• Paternity leave can help shift gendered roles, promoting equal sharing of parental responsibilities and enabling women to access more work opportunities.
• Time-Use Survey data indicates that Indian women spend significantly more time on domestic work and childcare compared to men.
• The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 aims to protect women's jobs during maternity leave, but subtle discrimination, such as delayed promotions, remains a challenge.
• The Swedish model of 480 days of paid parental leave, shared between parents with non-transferable portions, is considered a global standard, but may not be immediately viable in India.
• A parental leave model, rather than separate maternity and paternity leaves, could be a starting point, with a portion of the leave being non-transferable to ensure both parents participate.
• The implementation of parental leave in India needs to consider the large informal sector and the prevalence of small enterprises, where providing such leave can be challenging.
• Changing patriarchal mindsets and increasing the availability of productive jobs for both men and women are crucial for the success of parental leave policies.
• The Labour Codes of 2020 aim to bring more people into the formal economy, potentially extending the benefits of parental leave to a larger portion of the workforce.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Paternity Leave: A period of paid or unpaid leave granted to a father after the birth or adoption of a child.
• Maternity Leave: A period of paid or unpaid leave granted to a mother after the birth or adoption of a child.
• Parental Leave: A combined leave policy for both parents, allowing them to share the responsibility of childcare.
• Gendered Roles: Socially constructed expectations and norms regarding the roles and responsibilities of men and women.