EDITORIAL - Paternity leave nothing to scoff at

Word is that Barbadian fathers will soon be getting paid leave from their jobs to help take care of their new-born children.

Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, Colin Jordan, revealed this during the second day of debate on the 2020-2021 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.

He indicated that the leave would be granted under an arrangement similar to what currently obtains for women.

The Minister noted that paternity leave will be statutory like maternity leave and it will be paid leave as well, which will be taken around the time of birth of the child, no later than a few months after birth.

Now this concept of paternity leave is nothing to be scoffed at. We should all add our voices to the call for males desirous of being part of their children’s lives from an early age, to have some form of leave from their jobs, with benefits. The options for dads who want to be there to support their partners who are on maternity leave are pretty limited at present here in Barbados. It seems that it is up to the discretion of the company in which the male is employed to determine how much leave he can have, and for some males, they have to fight to be recognised as an equal partner in the process of caring for a child. Just a few companies have seen the need to be proactive, allowing dads time off, with pay.

However, why shouldn’t men be able to take time off from work to spend with their babies? If we are truly advocating that fathers play a greater role in the lives of the little ones they have helped to create, and if we truly want stronger families, then we have to look in more detail at the giving the male substantial paternity leave. Not two or three days’ leave, but a few weeks at most.

A caring father can be a source of much comfort to his child when mom needs to take a vital bath, eat a meal or just collect her thoughts. Those who have been there know how intense the early days and weeks can be when a child needs round-the-clock care, not forgetting that mom also needs to look after herself after labour and delivery.

Given the Herculean task the mother has to undergo of delivering the child, often with a male who feels helpless by her side, it would be a compassionate move to see that caring males get the chance to do what they can for her afterwards, by simply being around. And while many persons are in the habit of bashing males, we can be sure that there are men out there who want to help
out with child care and who want to be there in the early days to bond with their children.

The care of a child does not start when a child enters nursery or primary school. Dads should be there from the start. Family life in Barbados would certainly be the better for it, if doting dads had paternity leave.

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