UNITED NATIONS: Almost two-thirds of the world’s children under one year old — nearly 90 million — live in countries where their fathers are not entitled to a single day of paid paternity leave, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said.
In an analysis, UNICEF said 92 countries do not have national policies in place that ensure new fathers get adequate paid time off with their newborn babies, including India and Nigeria, which all have high infant populations.
In comparison, other countries with high infant populations, including Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all have national paid paternity leave policies, albeit offering relatively short-term entitlements, it said.
UNICEF urged governments to implement national family-friendly policies that support early childhood development, including paid paternity leave, to help provide parents with the time, resources and information they need to care for their children.
The new analysis is part of UNICEF’s Super Dads campaign, now in its second year, which aims to break down barriers preventing fathers from playing an active role in their young children’s development. – Xinhua News