Happy Father’s Day (two days ago)!
Coinciding with Father’s Day on Sunday, the folks at Ayahada.com, an Indonesian website devoted to fatherhood, started a petition on Change.org urging the government to make 2 weeks paid paternity leave mandatory for employees in Indonesia.
Almost any father will tell you that childbirth can be as hectic and exhausting as it is special. Citing several psychological studies on why the presence of fathers can be equally important as mothers for their children, the petition makers urged the government to consider passing a law enabling fathers to be entitled to a minimum of 2 weeks paid paternity leave when their children are born.
The petition seems to be popular and continues to gain traction, with almost 20,000 people signing it within just two days. However, the government has not yet responded to the petition.
By law, Indonesian fathers are currently entitled to just two days of paid paternity leave. Many think that is 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.
If you are interested in helping their cause, you can sign the petition here.
A version of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia at our siter site Coconuts Indonesia.
