Jiangsu fathers get extra paternity leave

Working fathers in East China's Jiangsu province can now take up to 30 days paid paternity leave to care for their newborns - double the amount of time in most other Chinese provinces.

The Jiangsu government's legal office has drafted a local regulation to solicit public opinions on the change, which stipulates that new fathers can have 15 days paternity leave and an additional 15 days of "joint parental leave".

It is designed to "promote gender equality in employment" and "encourage husbands and wives to share the housework", the government said. The move has been welcomed by parents and netizens alike.

Zhong Lei, father of a 4-year-old girl from Nanjing, said he is now considering having a second child because of the change.

"It was a nightmare when my daughter was born, especially for my wife," he said. "As a new mother, she needed help and I was not there for her. It will be great to have a month off work to take care of her and the newborn."

According to the Jiangsu Women's Federation, China does not have a nationwide regulation for paternity leave. Each province and municipality regulates their own paternity leave, which varies from 10 to 15 days.

Huang Xinwei, a pregnancy and postpartum psychology specialist at Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, said a longer period of paternity leave benefits both wives and husbands.

"Learning how to take care of newborns helps to foster a good father-child relationship. It also helps the fathers to realize how difficult life can be for new mothers," he said.

"Many new mothers have postpartum depression to some degree. It is important for them to be accompanied by family members, especially by the husbands. The sooner fathers take a part in raising their children, the better."

Meng Xiaosi, a Standing Committee member of the CPPCC National Committee and vice-president of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, said during this year's two sessions in March that many women choose not to have a second child due to lack of child care support and financial pressure. She called for longer paid paternity leave for both husbands and wives.

However, concerns have been raised that more time off work may increase costs for enterprises and affect the careers of fathers taking leave. "It's possible that I may be transferred from my current post to a less important one," said Zhong, the father.

"I would not be surprised if private companies place more emphasis on job applicants' marital status after this change. The government should take more responsibility, including giving subsidies to companies."

Zhu Jingwen contributed to this story.

cangwei@chinadaily.com.cn