KATHMANDU: The government has proposed providing mothers with at least six months of paid maternity leave and fathers with 42 days of paid paternity care leave.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the provisions have been proposed in a bill prepared to amend the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2075.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Minister Gautam said the bill will be presented to the Cabinet before being tabled in Parliament for further discussion and approval.
Gautam said ensuring that parents have adequate time to care for newborns and their families is a responsibility of the state, particularly as changing lifestyles and increasing work pressures have contributed to families having fewer children.
She also stressed that although pregnancy and childbirth directly involve mothers, the responsibility of raising and caring for a child should not rest solely on them.
“Parenting is a shared responsibility,” Gautam said, emphasizing the need for both parents to have sufficient time to care for their newborn and support the family during the early stages of a child’s life.
If approved by the Cabinet and Parliament, the proposed provisions would mark a significant change in Nepal’s legal framework for parental leave and workplace support for new parents.
Comment