Kathmandu, September 16
The government is preparing to extend paid maternity leave for mothers from the current 90 days to six months and paternity care leave for fathers from 15 days to 42 days.
According to Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam, the ministry has prepared a draft amendment to the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2018.
The ministry is preparing to submit the amendment bill to the Cabinet before taking it to Parliament, she said.
The proposed amendment provides for at least six months of paid maternity leave for mothers and up to 42 days of paid paternity care leave for fathers.
“This is an important policy change in terms of safe motherhood and parenthood,” Gautam said.
The ministry said the proposal has been put forward against the backdrop of increasingly busy lifestyles, work pressures and changing family structures, with many families choosing to have only one or two children.
“The special period of motherhood and fatherhood comes only once or twice in a person’s life. It is also the responsibility of the state to ensure that parents have enough time for their newborn and family during this period,” Gautam said.
She said that while giving birth is a natural process associated with mothers, raising a child should not be considered the sole responsibility of the mother.
“Child-rearing is a shared responsibility,” she said.
