Senate shuts bill aiming to grant men paternity leave in Nigeria
A bill sponsored by Edward Pwajok (Plateau-APC), to make provisions for optional paternity leave to all married male employees in both private and public service, on Thursday, suffered a setback.
The bill, if passed, would grant men the opportunities to get paternity leave just like women after giving births.
Pwajok had said refusal of the Senate to pass the bill would mean there is a discrimination against men.
“As father’s share of parenting is on the increase, they experience similar challenges with women, such as their jobs and family duties clashing. Making provision for maternity leave without provision for maternity leave is discriminatory against men,” he said.
“No better person can support a newly born baby than the father which will make the child more emotionally stable if the father stays close. This will not be peculiar to Nigeria alone, it’s done globally.”
Some members of the House of Reps argued that since it was a joint responsibility to take care of the children, the leave will afford the husband to take care of the child too.
Some lawmakers, however, were of the position that men should be out trying to provide for the upkeep of the family rather than staying back at home.
They also wondered how many times a man with six or seven wives would go on leave if the bill becomes law.
The motion was defeated by the members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
