MillenniumPost
Opinion

'Parenthood' is gender-neutral!

Gender-neutral parental leave gives opportunities to both mothers and fathers to enjoy new parenthood and pursue their careers

Parenthood is gender-neutral!
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The winds of change are blowing through corporate India leaving behind shattered gender stereotypes. Having a child is no longer a woman's primary responsibility as we witness a growing (and welcome) trend of hands-on fathers who wish to be as involved with their kid's upbringing as the mother. Corporate India is factoring in global changes in HR policy and, finally, some companies have started implementing them as well. The change, albeit gradual, is a breath of fresh air to the hackneyed human resource policies that govern the staff. Led by progressive thinkers as leaders, many companies are now offering gender-neutral parental leave, which would apply to both new mothers and fathers.

The latest to join a clutch of Indian companies allowing gender-neutral parental leave is social commerce startup, Meesho. Their 30-week gender-neutral parental leave policy will include childbirth, adoption, and surrogacy. The startup goes a step further and extends the benefits of this policy to men, women, same-sex couples, LGBTQA+, and live-in partners. In the last couple of years, gender-neutral policies have been introduced at Cyient and Zomato. Ranging between 12 weeks and 26 weeks, equal parental benefits for men and women in global companies such as ABB, Google, Diageo, Novartis, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft have also been benefitting the Indian employees of these companies.

Gender-neutral policies work positively in myriad ways and if implemented wisely can help new parents devote time to their kids without fear of professional loss on the work front because of the time-off. First and foremost, it challenges the notion of the mother as the primary caregiver. Fathers should be as involved in parenting as the mother. Importantly, it may not even be a question of 'should' as much as 'want' to. Many men today want to be active players in their child's formative years with the desire of enjoying the joys of parenthood. Therefore, an inclusive corporate policy would allow both the father and mother to take time off from work and concentrate on that significant phase in their lives. Parental leave is as much as a father's right as a mother's prerogative.

By extending the gender-neutral policies to birth by adoption or surrogacy, some companies are also acknowledging that not all kinds of parenthood come the traditional way. Even if a child is adopted or born through surrogacy, the parent(s) still has a right to parental leave. Similarly, single parents, same-sex couples, and LGBTQ+ have the same rights as traditional heterosexual couples. While the latter is not common among gender-neutral parental leave policies but with companies such as Meesho introducing it, others may soon incorporate this addition in policy as well. And while same-sex marriage may still be illegal in India, at least some of our corporates are showing the gumption to recognise different kinds of love.

A gender-neutral parental policy crucially also helps women navigate through the demands of a new baby and their careers. With both parents being allowed parental leave, the onus doesn't have to fall on the mother to put her career on the backburner. Most new mothers drop off from work, not because they want to but because they have little choice. They quit professional careers that have been arduously built only because child-rearing comes in the way. The society also demands that a mother's first and only job in life should be the child. Therefore, the post-maternity attrition rate in India is alarmingly high. According to a survey by TeamLease, an HR services company, post-maternity attrition has increased from 40 per cent to 45 per cent in 2018-19. Corporate policies that are amenable to new mothers such as flexible work hours, child care, help in managing workload, and mentorship programs to get back to pre-maternity productivity without facing salary cuts and losing on promotions are key. A gender-neutral policy alone is not enough to retain women in the workforce but it is a step in the right direction.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal

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