Delivery and its pain is an emotional and exhaustive experience for a mother. Also, mother usually bears the main responsibility of childcare work in family life. Father’s has also duty to take care of both mother and child. Therefore, the best a husband can do is to be around for her emotional and other support ensuring paternity leave.
Paternity leave is a period of time that a father is legally allowed to be away from his job so that he can spend time with his new born or adopting baby in many countries. Paternity leave is one of the basic family friendly rights that often picks up in the workplace.
UNICEF provides a two-month paternity leave to its staff members. It is a major facility that enables an employee to provide the most needed support to his other half, which strengthens the family bond.
According to ILO 2014, paternity leave defined as a leave period, reserved for fathers in relation to childbirth or leave that can be used exclusively by fathers as paternity leave.
In 2019, the EU institutions are set to approve new work-life balance legislation, which will introduce minimum standards for paid paternity leave across the EU.
Paternity leave is important as it gives fathers the time to gain confidence and skills in his new role as a father. Though this time is very short, every moment changing a diaper, learning to burp baby, putting baby to sleep, and even bathing bay makes a difference.
Bonding, babies are social and will want to learn more about their environment as soon as they are born. It is true, they will want to eat and sleep, and eat and sleep again, and then again they will also open their eyes, and feel around when they are awake. They will want to know they are secure, loved and cared. This is father’s time to continue the conversations father had with his unborn child. In most cases baby will recognise father’s voice and will be comforted to know that father is still here. During this period, really need it to dedicate father’s time to him, his wife and baby. This is a very crucial time for father’s relationship with his family.
Helping hand, this time can be testing for both father and his other half, then with support from husband; it can be easier to get through. As a father the role is as important to the mother as it is to the child. For instance, during this hot spell, for us it’s been an extra hand to fan the baby, or get the bits and pieces sterilised or even put baby to sleep whilst mum has a shower, foodstuff, prayer or something like this. Also, find a way to share the load of night time feeds which works for father as a couple. For instance, if Father is getting up for work during the week, he can do feeds on Friday and Saturday night and let Mother sleep. Paternity leave allows for both of father to ease into his new life and changing roles. It is as important for father as it is for mum to understand what their contribution will be in this new world order.
Remember if your other half has given up work to take care of the baby, they may be feeling isolated from the world, make time for them to remain connected to their old identity and have a girls’ or boys’ night or the time for an interest or hobby.
Paternity leave benefits the work. New fathers taking paternity leave also benefits new mothers. Research shows that when men taking paternity leave gives women more of the chance to get back to work, which can positively contribute to a new family’s home.
In Bangladesh, mostly there is no official policy for paternity leave. Thus, most fathers either miss out on being with the family at this crucial time. Childbirth is the time when a father must shoulder a lot of responsibilities. If it is not saved from office work during this time, family and work both suffer.
Hence, Father should take paternity leave. Paternity leave benefits kids early on and for life. Kids whose father took paternity leave have been shown to become more social as they grow up, perform better in the school. When both men and women take parental leave for having a child, it is good for everyone that is because equality is not only a female issue.
Paternity leave should be for all new fathers in the Bangladesh. Fathers should also be given the right to attend important health appointments and birth preparation activities and lessons with full payment.
(Taslim Ahammad, Chairman, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh)
Taslim Ahammad
