A Proposal for a Law has just been admitted to the Congress of Deputies match the length of maternity leave (currently in 16 weeks) and paternity (recently extended to five weeks).
Given this proposal, the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics (AEPap) has issued a statement in which they believe that the priority would be to extend maternity leave to, among other things, promote exclusive breastfeeding until the six months recommended by the WHO.
The objectives of matching both permits
As we anticipated a couple of months ago, Podemos proposed a proposal for the law to match paternity and maternity leave by birth or adoption in 16 weeks. The proposal was approved unanimously, and yesterday it was admitted for processing at the Congress and Deputies.
The objectives of this proposal are:
- encourage co-responsibility in the care of children, encouraging parents to be involved in the care of babies to the same extent as mothers do,
- prevent women from suffering discrimination within the labor market by becoming mothers.
In addition, extending the paternity leave from the current five weeks to the 16 weeks that are proposed, the mother would also benefit, as she could count on help for longer to physically recover from pregnancy and childbirth.
But it's still not enough ...
However, we must not forget that a primary aspect of baby care is feeding, and on this issue the World Health Organization and Scientific Societies recommend exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months , for its countless benefits for mother and baby, and the significant economic savings that it represents for families, for the health system and for the country, in general.
With a maternity leave of 16 weeks and the working and social conditions of working mothers who in many cases prevent the extraction, conservation and transport of breast milk, following the recommendations of the WHO seems difficult (although not impossible).
And that is why the primary care pediatricians of the AEP have expressed in this regard:
"When considering legislation on this issue, we believe that the priority objective should be to extend the mother's permission for at least 6 months and for the parents' licenses to be transferable. Both must be remunerated."
"If the legislative amendment does not include this aspect, Spanish mothers would not see their leave extended in a single day and would continue to be, together with the Maltese, European mothers with less available time of paid leave" - says an official statement issued by the AEPap
Other considerations proposed by the AEPap
But in addition, the AEPap highlights other considerations that, in their view, should be taken into account, and that are:
The importance of encourage and facilitate the co-responsibility of parents in the care and upbringing of children, so it would be advisable to extend the paternity leave that is currently in five weeks.
If desired, be able enjoy paternity and maternity leave successively and not simultaneous. In this way, the child would be taken care of for longer by their parents, in addition to facilitating family organization.
"Achieving that these considerations be incorporated into the legal framework would bring Spain closer to European countries where these permits reach and exceed 12 months, could imply health benefits and the welfare of families, and would also mean progress in equality, since it would make it possible for many women who cannot afford leave to prolong their leave today, have more paid months. "
Birth rates would increase
According to the AEPap, carrying out these measures would also favor birth rates in our country, which is currently in a situation of serious demographic crisis, where deaths exceed births.
This is due, among other factors, to the fact that women increasingly delay the time to become mothers, and the older the worse the ovarian reserve and the lower the chances of pregnancy.
But in addition, experts agree that this downward trend in births is also due to the scarce aid that couples receive to reconcile work and family life, instability and precarious employment, lack of aid and subsidies by the Government, and an insufficient maternity leave.
We will see if finally the equalization of both permits becomes a reality that, although a priori may seem insufficient, is certainly a important and beneficial first step for families.
Via AEPap
In Babies and More Why exclusive breastfeeding is advised up to six months (I), Paternity leave in the world, Breastfeeding rates in Spain have yet to improve a lot
