Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Paternity leave: The hidden barriers keeping men at work
In developed economies, many parents are entitled to parental leave by law, which allows either of the parent to take paid, unpaid, or partially paid leave. But in most cases, only the parent who gave the birth usually takes the leave. Even though gender gaps at work have declined substantially in the last few decades, gender stereotypes seem to exist in many organizations and societies. In fact, fathers who take parental leave are still a small minority. And even those who dared to take the leave did it only a few days, not enough to build a bond with the newborn (s). Indeed, women are thought to be better at caring for babies or children while men are thought to be unfit. Also, there seems to be an unspoken but firm belief at workplaces that men should not take full paternity leave. So, many men take the leave only as long as it is regarded as reasonable or acceptable in their respective workplaces.
How can such gender stereotypes be removed? Should parental roles set individually, culturally, or legally?
Enjoy reading the article and think about the parent roles in your culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment