Ukrainian parliament approved the first draft of the law that would allow fathers to get paid parental leave and look after their newborns.
Parental leave for fathers
The new law about paid parental leave would give more freedom for couples to choose who is going to look after the newborn, KP.ua reported.
In fact, fathers in Ukraine already could apply for a paid parental leave instead of the mother, if she didn’t take this option. However, there was a problem. If the mother wasn’t entitled to a paid parental leave (for instance, if she was self-employed), then the father was unable to get it either. The new law should solve this problem.
At the present time, fathers in Ukraine nearly never use the option of getting the baby-caring leave instead of the mother. Gender stereotypes are very strong in Ukraine and men are supposed to be providers, not carers.
However, some guy do take the option to look after kids, allowing wives to return to work. Especially if the mother’s job pays better. The men who opt to become stay-at-home dads face lots of misunderstandings though.
During 2020 that had the country in lockdowns, wages in many areas dropped, shifting priorities for families, which had to adapt quickly to new realities. In families where wives’ salaries remained high, guys opt to become carers more often.
In general, women in Ukraine earn 25% less than men, but this is often because of the choice of vocation.
Read also:
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- How much do Ukrainian women earn compared to men?
- Ukraine to introduce paid paternity leave
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