9 Reasons Why Men Need Paternity Leave

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The Maternity Bill that is passed in the Lok Sabha has definitely favored women, doubling the maternity leave period. But, not everyone’s happy! It has created quite an uproar from various sectors, pointing out the loopholes such as the requirement for paternity leave and parental leave as parenting is a shared responsibility. Sounds fair to me. What about paternity leave? Are dads entitled to it? Is paternity leave underrated?

A few companies who are progressive in their outlook do offer paternity leave (paid leave) to their male employees which range from a few days to a few weeks. Private companies in India allow five to ten days of paternity leave. Multinational companies such as Google and Star India provide four weeks, and Facebook gives four months of paternity leave, which is the highest in India. The Maternity Bill came under the scrutiny of several critics, Maneka Gandhi being one of them. She commented that paternity leave is like a paid holiday for men and wondered why men needed leaves when they didn’t use their existing leaves at all. Apparently, most companies float the same belief when it comes to paternity leave. This is a debate that will continue to go on.

But, here’s why I think paternity leave is as important as maternity leave:

  1. It reassures the wife that her husband is there for her. Just the fact that the husband is around for the mother and baby makes her overcome that fatigue and aches. It helps the mother relax, have more me-time, and helps her recuperate quickly.
  1. Dads should have exclusive time off to tend to their newborns and their wives.
  1. It works in benefit of the employer and the employee. Imagine a newbie father missing his child at work or feeling guilty for not being able to accompany his wife with the baby to the hospital. This is surely going to affect his productivity. Instead, give him paternity leave and he will be back with renewed zeal to work.
  1. The fathers have to be involved early on in parenting as it helps in bonding with the child. It makes the relationship of the family stronger as a unit.
  1. Sharing the responsibilities sets a precedent to share other things in the future.
  1. Studies (1) have shown that a father’s role in early childhood is very crucial, as it affects the child’s cognitive and social needs and overall well-being. Kids even go on to do better in schools and have higher IQs. Why should any child be deprived of an involved father when it has so many benefits?
  1. While the newborn and the wife benefit from dad’s time off from work, the dad too benefits being away from work. He gets to unwind himself and gets a chance to take a break from work. He will willingly take on parenting as an equally important responsibility as working.
  1. Most importantly, it strengthens the relationship between the couple and both can cherish the growing years of the baby.
  1. There’s nothing more endearing than the mom and dad being around with the newborn until the little one is at least six months old.

Introducing paternity leave alongside the maternity leave should be mandated not just for the sake of it but for bringing about a change in the society and breaking the stereotype of the mother being exclusively responsible for parenting. Moreover, any support for a mother is welcome post delivery and when it comes from the husband it makes it all the more special. The father’s role in raising the child should be reinforced by introducing paternity leave.

What do you think about paternity leave? Let us know your opinion by commenting below.

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