Promoting paternity leave will be an important step to ensuring gender equality in Moldova. This provision, once stipulated in the law, will increase the continued involvement of women with children in the labor market and reduce gender stereotypes in society. Similarly,it will help fathers play a more active role in raising and educating children, and reduce the gender gap in unpaid work. These are the findings of an analytical note prepared by the Centre “Partnership for Development”, in support of a bill that provides for the introduction of paternity leave.
The Deputy Director of the Center, Ms Galina Precup, said in a press conference that the project provides for paternity leave of 14 days, paid from the social insurance fund. She added that experience shows that this period, despite not being too long, is sufficient to model some relationships in the family. According to her, especially in the early days of a child’s life, an emotional bond between father and child, mother and father, both very durable, are created. “It has been shown that in families where the father is involved in childcare, thus assuming certain commitments related to child raising and care, decisions on the second or third child come more easily”, said Ms Precup.
Mr Andrei Brighidin from East Europe Foundation said that at the last meeting of the parliamentary committee, it was proposed to reduce paternity leave from the 14 days recommended initially to 3 days. “In this context, we, the civil society, would like to bring to public knowledge the importance of paternity leave, its potential effects in the context of an alarming situation created by gender stereotypes, and given that we have gender equality on paper, but less so de facto, in political, economic terms”, mentioned Mr Brighidin.
Vice President of the Platform for Gender Equality, Ms Alina Andronache, said that the birth of a child is a gift, and if women are endowed with this gift, the vocation of caring for and raising a person belongs to both parents. “When a child is born, not only the child, but also the mother, need care, love and support. Therefore, the father’s role is very important, as two persons need their care and support.”, said Alina Andronache.
The representative of Romanian civil society, Mr Peter Vlad Ianuşevici, said that the importance of children is enormous for a father’s transformation. “I have actively participated in the birth of our daughter and it was the most transformative and important experience of my life so far,” said Peter Vlad Ianuşevici.
At the initiative of the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family, the government approved the draft law amending some legislative acts on ensuring equality between women and men. One of the proposed changes was the introduction of an article providing for paternity leave of 14 calendar days. The provisions are to be approved in parliament.
Source: www.IPN.md