BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – “Grant men paternity leave.”
These sentiments were articulated by Founder and Executive Director of Kwakha Indvodza, Tom Churchyard.
Churchyard mentioned that paternity leave might boost fathers’ relationships and allow fathers to experience the joys of being new fathers.
He said men’s hormones can shift both before and after a child’s birth, and that there was exciting new evidence that fathers’ brains reflect the transition to parenthood as well.
Paternity leave is the right for a father, partner of a pregnant woman, surrogate parent or someone who has been matched with a child by an adoption agency, with 26 weeks’ service as an employee, to take up to two weeks’ leave in one block. The leave must be taken within 56 days of the birth of a child or within 56 days of the expected date of birth if the child is born early.
When explaining this, Churchyard said fathers also needed to be part of their children’s lives and not making it a gender role activity.
He made an example of how his organisation kept away from strict gender norms by allowing their male workers paternity leave.
“Our male workers are given four weeks leave after their welcome a new baby, this is to allow them to be part of the process with their families, and help the new mothers,” said Churchyard.
In 2002, California passed the first paid parental leave law in the United States. Parents can take off up to ten weeks after birth, and receive up to 60 per cent of their wages, plus job protection. The weekly payment increases each year and is scheduled to hit 67 per cent of regular wages in 2022.
South Africa’s new parental leave laws have been signed into law by president Cyril Ramaphosa – taking effect from January 1, 2020. The new legislation means that all parents – including fathers, adopting parents, and surrogates – are now entitled to 10 days unpaid parental leave when their children are born.
Meanwhile during his remarks he also revealed that in the country 22 per cent of children, live with both biological parents under one roof. This he said showed how fathers remain critical in a child’s life.
Echoing Churchyard’s sentiments was, United States Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Moyer who said reaching to young fathers and educating them on the significant role they play in the lives of their children, families, and communities was vitally important.
