Letters: The bigger issue

Kanika Datta in her column "Paternal instincts" (SWOT, September 8) makes a case for the grant of paternity leave. If used sincerely, paternal attention, immediately after the birth of a child, would help the mother to care better for the child. However, one should also consider the cost to the company and the impact on organisational functioning. If the couple works in the same organisation, a child's birth would entail six months absence for two employees simultaneously. It might deter employers from recruiting such couples or discourage requests from them to work together in the same office. Particularly at lower levels there is a possibility that the husband, instead of helping with childcare, might work on other things. The apprehension of losing the race for promotion or growth because of long absence might deter entitled employees from availing the opportunity.

Lastly, in our demand for paternity leave we should not ignore the lot of poor women, who work as domestic help or contract labour in the informal sector and are bereft of even 12 weeks' leave. This is in spite of Article 42 of the Constitution guaranteeing maternity leave to all working women. Since they are the wage earners for their families, they are unable to take leave and get back to work leaving the child unattended. Inadequate child rearing practices tell on the health of the child and mother. If they are also victims of early marriage and poorly spaced child bearing, the ill effect on their health is severe. Activists should agitate for the grant of maternity leave to this class of working women.

Y G Chouksey, Pune

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