Glenda P. Simms, Contributor

In the Caribbean in general, and in Jamaica in particular, there is much discussion about the marginalisation of the male. The concept of this newly defined sociological dilemma is rooted in the fact that growing numbers of women and girls are, for the first time in the history of former slave societies, finding a way to get the requisite qualifications to find many semi-decent and a few good jobs.

This change in the sociological reality of women's lives has forced all societies to find new ways to bring about the enabling environment to ensure that the gains that women are making in the social, economic and political spheres are not eroded by the stereotypical and entrenched notions about the role and status of women.

A case of input

The current discussion around the issue of paternity leave is a case in point.

In an editorial carried by The Gleaner in the July 6, 2003 edition, it was pointed out that "new social paradigms over the past half a century have placed more mothers in the workplace" and government, private-sector employers and all conscious stakeholders have come to realise that this shift in the makeup of the work force requires new policies that give equality and support systems to the emerging and changing cadre of workers.

In this new view of life as it is being lived, The Gleaner in 2003 pointed out that the Michael Manley-led administration in the 1970s "introduced laws guaranteeing paid maternity leave as part of a raft of social reform legislation". According to this account, the introduction of these measures resulted in "an intense debate about the cost of the productive process" and the "arguments have merely simmered since then".

It is this debate that is reflected in the article titled 'Paternity Leave? Yes, but ...' carried in the August 11, 2008, edition of The Gleaner. It can be argued that paid maternity leave fits within the sociological and psychological framework of patriarchal societies. After all, women are the segment of human beings who were born with the biological capacity to bear children. It was therefore not difficult for governments and employers to accommodate, sometimes grudgingly, the reality that when women enter the workplace outside of the home, their need to balance the new role as worker and mother should to be reflected in policy shifts.

On the other hand, the concept of paternity leave as an essential plank to accommodate the social and economic reality of contemporary life is not an easy concept to sell to the majority of men and women.

Paternity leave

The Gleaner ought to be commended on including paternity leave in its positive parenting series. This article reflects the ongoing debate that was mentioned in the 2003 editorial. For instance, while the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) seems to embrace the idea of a one-month paternity leave for workers who are fathers, "they argue that if fathers were to get more than the month off, it should be at their own expense".

Obviously this response of JEF is based on the recognition that while women, unlike rabbits, give birth only once per year, many men have been known to father two, three and sometimes more children by a range of 'baby mothers' in one year.

Within this framework, the federation is correct in limiting paternity leave to once yearly. The men who have multiple families will have the responsibility to decide which baby deserves the benefit of his presence during those crucial moments of human development. In other words, one or two babies will have to be disenfranchised by losing the presence of the father during the breast-feeding period.

It is obvious that the paternity patterns of significant numbers of Jamaica men pose real challenges to the notion of responsible parenthood, support of family values and the process of achieving gender equality in the society.

Role of paternity leave

In spite of this, policy-makers must be clear about the need for and the role of paternity leave in child development.

In this sense, Yvonne Davis of the JEF is very wrong when she says paternity leave "is to support the new mother with chores relating to the newborn".

No, Ms Davis, paternity leave must be ensured so that fathers can be integral to the process of nurturing the child and the mother in an environment of duality of purpose. Fathers must be seen as essential parents from birth through all the stages of development.

While it is the woman who gives birth and breast feeds, she is not the only player in the conception of the child. She should therefore not be expected to be the one totally responsible for ensuring the child develops in a balanced manner.

Children's development

Fathers, like Errol Martin, who is supportive of the importance of a father's involvement in the earliest movements of his children's development are on the right track.

They understand that paternity leave is not a time when they are merely helping the mother. They are not helpers, they are fathers!

On the other hand, many women can relate to the statements of Sharon Sterling, a mother who was interviewed for The Gleaner article and whose views are captured in her statement that "the majority of fathers are not disciplined and dedicated enough to make good use of the leave".

While this point of view is underscored by the retarding patriarchal underpinnings of male irresponsibility, Jamaican women need to expect more of the men who father their children. We should therefore encourage the workplace to support paternity leave.

Challenge the Government

We should also challenge the Government and the unions in the public sector to ensure that paternity leave is part of the policies on workers' rights.

Indeed, the Government is the largest employer of the workforce and the leadership on this issue must reside with a government, which ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Under Article 16 of CEDAW the Jamaican Government declared that on the basis of equality of men and women "the same rights and responsibilities as parents, irrespective of their marital status, in matters relating to their children, the interest of the children shall be paramount".

It has taken over 30 years for the Government of Jamaica to address the issue of paternity leave as an essential policy to ensure that men and women are treated equally in the society.

It is about time that men fight for the implementation of equality laws, especially those related to the equality of roles in the private sphere.

Glenda P. Simms is a consultant on gender issues. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com