Dear Editor,
In light of Father’s Day and the month-long celebration of Men’s Mental Health in June, I strongly believe that this matter needs to be addressed.
We are in 2023, and provisions for paternity leave in the National Labour Laws have not been made. Being a young adult, I am still in the process of acquainting myself with the basic laws of my country.
However, I was appalled when my colleague inquired about paternity leave at my workplace and was told that there is no provision for it.
Are we truly considering the mental health and well-being of our fathers? During a mother’s labour in bringing a child into our land, we expect fathers to religiously attend their 9-to-5 jobs. I am convinced that this is simply too much to ask! It is a fallacy to envision that our fathers would be at ease, knowing that the mother of their child is left alone for most of the day.
What about the laundry, the meals to sustain her, or if she needs to take a shower? Who will look after the child during those moments? Who will comfort her? Not everyone is privileged to have a support system that can act in the place of the father when he is at work.
Needless to say, the matter becomes more critical if there are more children in the family, because they will need attention. Moreover, I do not believe we stopped to consider the possibility of the mother having a caesarean delivery (c-section). At these tender moments, fathers are usually on the frontline to support the mothers, but we need to give them the tools they need.
Editor, if we want fathers to be “present”, we need to provide the avenue for it to happen. If we cannot protect men’s health, we cannot protect women’s health; we cannot protect families.
I call upon the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the President to please consider this matter with great urgency. I am confident that we have the expertise to address this issue. Let us fervently rally behind our fathers. Let us leave no stone unturned when it comes to their complete well-being.
Yours truly,
Rachel Anna Cecil
