PETALING JAYA: The proposal for seven-day paternity leave continues to gain support, with experts suggesting that it is necessary for family development.
HELP University counselling psychologist Dr Gerard Louis said the first week following a child’s birth was one of the most important moments for newborns as they would bond emotionally with their parents during this time.
“This kind of emotional support for the child can be an important first moment for the family,” he told theSun.
Louis said mothers could also use the support from their husbands as they deal with exhaustion and, to a certain degree, post-partum depression.
“For one person (mother) to take care of the baby in the first week after all she’s gone through is expecting too much. So the seven-day proposal is certainly a good start,” he said.
“This period is necessary for fathers to assist in the care of the child and the mother. This is also the time and opportunity for a father to bear equal responsibility for the newborn,” he added.
Women’s Aid Organisation, in a petition recently, garnered close to 40,000 signatures for seven-day paternity leave for those in the private sector.
Last week, the group handed the petition to Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran, who said he would present it to the Cabinet.
The minister previously said the government would table a proposal in Parliament to have a minimum three days of paternity leave, compared with none currently.
Child psychologist Assc Prof Dr Geshina Ayu Mat Saat suggested that fathers of newborns be given an option to extend their paternity leave to 10 days should their wives go through complicated deliveries.
“When there are birth complications the father has to shoulder more responsibilities that may take longer than three days to resolve,” she said.
Geshina said the government should consider extending paternity leave to 14 days to enable both parents to adjust to a new life schedule and adequately attend to the needs of their newborn.
Singapore has two weeks of paid paternity leave, Myanmar has 15 days, while the Philippines provides between seven and 14 days.
