Indonesia took an important step towards gender equality regarding childcare as male government workers are now entitled to more paid leave time to care for their newborns.
Today, the State Employment Body (BKN) revealed that, under a revision to leave policy for civil servants nationwide, male civil servants are now entitled to one-month of paid paternity leave when their spouses give birth.
The revision, which was approved last year, specifically added childbirth by a spouse to the list of “important excuses” that entitle male civil servants to one-month of leave.
“It’s very situational and the [leave request] must be approved by their superiors. But, in principle, this policy allows husbands to go on leave for a month because their wives have given birth,” said BKN Spokesperson Mohammad Ridwan, as quoted by Detik today.
In addition, Ridwan assured that the paternity leave will not count against the civil servants’ annual leave.
Previously, Indonesian fathers — those who work in the private sector or for the government — were entitled to just two days of paid paternity leave. Many thought that was far too short a time for a man to give moral and physical support to his wife who has just given birth, let alone to get himself accustomed to responsibilities of caring for his new child.
Unfortunately, there has been no talk of the civil servants’ new paternity leave policy being extended to the private sector as well.
Female civil servants and permanent private sector employees, on the other hand, are both currently entitled to three months’ maternity leave under Indonesian law. The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection last year said that it was considering female organizations’ recommendation to double maternity leave to six months (which applies to husbands as well), but no such policy has been introduced since.
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