Some lawmakers have recommended that a new father be given at least four to eight weeks of paternity leave.
They made the proposal during a session of the Chamber of Deputies on Monday , June 15, 2020 to approve the draft law setting out the general statute governing public servants.
The session was scheduled to resume for voting at Parliament on Tuesday 16 June.
Both the bill under review, and the Rwandan labor law adopted in 2018, do not allow for paternity leave.
Nevertheless, some employers are offering a four-day leave with a new baby to a male employee.
Under the existing legal system a female employee is entitled to 12 consecutive weeks or three months of paid maternity leave (including two weeks before delivery).
The fact that fathers often need it because they take care of the mothers (their wives who gave birth) and the newborn needs the care of both the mother and the father are among the arguments that parliamentarians put forward for such a leave.
MP Eugene Barikana said paternity leave was long considered, but progress toward establishing it was slow.
“A father also needs leave, no matter how long it is, when their wife has given birth, especially because the legislation intends to support the family, and the role of the father is very important after birth,” he said.
“In a bid to build, strengthen a family, a father should get leave. A father needs to get rest in order to be mentally fine,” he observed.
MP John Ruku-Rwabyoma said that a baby should be with both parents in line with wellness, and bonding.
“A father needs at least one to two months of paternity leave. Fathers need enough time to take care of the mother and bond with the babies
A statutory right to paid paternity leave is found in 70 countries, according to the International Labor Organization ( ILO), underlining the trend towards greater involvement of fathers around childbirth.
But, according to the UN labor agency, only five countries, all among the developed economies (Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Portugal, and Slovenia) provide more than two weeks of paternity leave.
