Debate on paternity leave in India: promoting shared parenting and gender equality
A discussion explores the need for formal paternity leave in India, following a Supreme Court ruling that emphasized the child's right to access both parents as caregivers. Ashwini Deshpande highlights that Indian women spend ten times more hours on domestic work and childcare, leading to a "motherhood penalty" in wages and limiting work opportunities. Sanjoy Ghose points out that existing maternity laws cover only 10% of the formal workforce and discrimination persists. Both agree on the need for "parental leave" instead of just maternity/paternity, with a non-transferable component for fathers, accompanied by a shift in societal norms. Challenges include the informal sector, small enterprises, and patriarchal mindsets.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court highlighted the child's right to access both parents, prompting a debate on formal paternity leave in India.
- Indian women disproportionately bear childcare responsibilities, leading to a "motherhood penalty" and limiting their participation in the workforce.
- Existing maternity benefits cover only a small fraction of the workforce, and discrimination against women persists in the formal sector.
- Experts suggest a shift to "parental leave" with a mandatory component for fathers, alongside societal norm changes, to promote shared parenting and gender equality.
Exam Facts
- Supreme Court judgment in Hamsaanandini Nanduri case.
- Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
- Time-Use Survey data shows Indian women spend 10 times more hours on domestic work.
- Labour codes of 2020.
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