Paternity Leave: A Welcome Development

In September 2021 the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved a 14-day paternity leave to give men the opportunity to properly bond with their new-born baby or adopted one. With this newly introduced leave Nigeria joins other countries on the continent?like Kenya, Mauritius, Gabon, Cameroun, Chad, Ivory Coast, Madagascar and Togo?as well as 90?other countries worldwide that also have paternity leave. This is a welcome development and like one mother said the idea of a father having time to bond with the new family member is wonderful

This comes 6 years after Lagos State passed a similar law allowing men 10 days paternity leave. While Enugu had approved 3 week’s paternity leave. However, in both states these laws only pertain to employees in the public sectors thus most new father's in the private sector may not enjoy any form of paternity leave (depending on individual corporate work place policies).

Even in the public sector implementation is lacking as some MDAs are yet to make paternity leave part of their official leaves. Recently while discussing with some men on the issue of paternity leave most of them expressed joy that paternity leave was finally a reality as it was very difficult to combine work with the arrival of a new baby.?For most fathers especially where their extended family is not close by they have to run errands pertaining to the babies’ arrival and also look after the new mother. In instances where the baby or the mother has health complications then it will be almost impossible for the father to show up at work at all, thus the leave will make life much easier. While one of the fathers jokingly wished the leave had been monetized instead i.e. rather than 2 weeks off he would prefer a paternity bonus as the cash would go a long way in buying diapers and the like, they all said the leave was long overdue and a very welcome development.

However, the recent law only refers to the public sector, thus leaving men in the private sector at the mercy of their organisations individual leave policies. There is therefore a need for policies regarding Paternity leave in both public and private sectors so that father's in both sectors are assured of sometime-off when a new baby arrives. For starters, the Labour Law needs to be amended to include paternity leave so that all organisations provide for this.

?If you have read this far you may be wondering why men even need paternity leave. After all it’s the women who passed through labour and are the primary care givers??Here are just a few reasons.

1.??????Help for the mother: When a father is available then the mother of the new born is able to rest more as she gets more help. This may also help with post-partum depression as it provides both physical and emotional support for mother and baby. Ultimately paternity care is a win-win situation

2.??????Closer family Bond: Paternity leave allows the new parents spend time together with the new baby and thus bond more closely as a family.

3.??????Better Work life balance: Most times when we discuss work life balance we think about the working woman, however both men and women need better work life balance to enable them live happier and more productive lives.

4.??????More fulfilment: Men who are able to spend more time with their newborns receive a lot of joy from this experience. Infact, a MenCare?State of the World’s Fathers?report?shows that men are generally happier and experience fewer mental and physical health problem when they are involved in caring for young children. This also leads psychological fulfilment for the fathers which is vital to individuals as they progress in life.

5.??????Improved confidence with childcare: Some fathers are very nervous around newborns due to inexperience, paternity leave can help.?A report called The New Dad: Take Your Leave, found that the bonding during paternity leave helps the father to improve in his ability to care for children in the long term. According to the report a father who is around in those early stages gives lasting confidence in his caregiving – and establishes him as an equal partner in parenting.

There is also evidence that suggests that this early bonding can actually lead to a stronger father-child bond later in life. (1)

?So my question to everyone reading this post is, does your workplace give paternity leave and if not is it something you would want implemented.?

#paternityleave #policy #publicaffairs #governmentrelations #gender

1)??????The Benefits of Paternity Leave – Dove Men+Care | Dove