A worker at the Merak integrated health post (posyandu) in South Tangerang, Banten, weighs a baby. - Photo: Antara File
JAKARTA: In a country that has been named among the most “fatherless” in the world, lawmakers' decision to declare child-rearing a shared responsibility between partners in the recently passed Maternal and Child Welfare Law has garnered mixed responses, with critics saying the provision, which lacks both a monitoring mechanism and sanctions for violations, is insufficient to ensure that fathers will take a more active role.
The new law aims to streamline existing regulations to improve the welfare of parents and children during the first 1,000 days of the babies’ lives in the hope of curbing high maternal and infant mortality and stunting rates.
Passed unanimously by the House of Representatives in a plenary session on Tuesday, the legislation extends paid maternity leave from three months to a maximum of six for mothers with certain medical conditions, if they can provide a doctor’s note.
The law also grants legal protections for mothers taking maternity leave or leave to recover from a miscarriage, preventing them from being fired during or because of that period.
Meanwhile, expectant fathers have the right to take up to five days of leave to accompany their wives for the birth of their child, compared to the two days stipulated by the previous regulation.
The law also says parents share the responsibility to ensure the survival of their children and nurture their development, among other duties.
A previous draft ascribed these responsibilities only to the mothers.Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister I Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati said raising children and ensuring their welfare was the responsibility of both parents.
"Fathers should be able to ensure that their spouses and children have access to health care and nutritious food.
"They must also support mothers in breastfeeding their babies and help alleviate their partners’ burdens,” Bintang said recently, adding that creating mother-and-child-friendly environments in the house, workplace and public spaces was crucial to improving the welfare of both women and children.
Skepticism
Twenty-nine-year-old Eva Yulita Sari, a mother of two and a teacher in Sukoharjo, Central Java, was doubtful that the new law would bring any significant changes to the common traditional beliefs that child rearing was a mother's duty.
"I don't think the government has enough resources to monitor the implementation of the law. For example, even with longer paternity leave, how can the government ensure that all fathers are actively helping their wives to care for their babies during the leave period?" Eva told The Jakarta Post on Friday (June 7).
Naditya Fitriani, a 30-year-old working mother from Bogor, West Java, expressed similar skepticism.
"Although the progressive paradigm must be appreciated, the law only provides guidelines without listing any sanctions for violators, so I doubt it will be effective," said Naditya.
Naditya added that five days of paternity leave did not give fathers enough room to support their partners, who needed more time to recover and adapt to their new roles.
"I’m lucky that my mother lives close by so that she can help me take care of my baby when I am recovering from childbirth, but not everyone is as lucky as I am. I think the government should give at least 14 days of paid paternity leave for fathers," she said.
In response to the criticism, Golkar Party lawmaker Ace Hasan Syadzily, who is also the deputy chair of House Commission VIII overseeing women’s empowerment and child protection, said it would be possible to extend paternity leave provided the father’s company granted it. "[The company] may also need to consider the father's work productivity before deciding on extending his leave period," Ace said.
Fatherless country
A three-year-long study across 33 provinces of the country between 2008-2010 crowned Indonesia as one of the most “fatherless” countries in the world, with researchers finding that most men lagged behind women in parenting.
Deeply rooted patriarchal beliefs and a lack of stress on the presence of a father figure in parenting contribute to the problem.
Meanwhile, studies from 1987 to 2005 consistently showed a positive correlation between a father’s involvement and his children’s overall social competence, social initiative, social maturity and capacity to relate to others.
These studies also found that children of involved fathers had higher grades, demonstrated greater tolerance for stress and frustration, had superior problem-solving and adaptive skills and were more playful, resourceful, skillful and attentive when encountering a problem.
Khotimun Susasti of the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women’s Association for Justice (LBH APIK) said the government needed to create educational campaigns on the importance of men's role in childcare to be able to effectively implement the new law.
"All stakeholders, from the central government to village heads, must actively participate in the campaign," she said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
