Some Ghanaian parents are calling for mandatory paid paternity leave at the workplace.

According to them, the current system, which only guarantees maternity leave, reinforces stereotypical gender roles and denies fathers bonding time with their newborns.

Forty-one-year-old Selassie Gador proceeded on an annual leave to support his nursing wife and bond with his newborn.

He works as a data analyst in Accra. Gador was not granted paternity leave when his daughter was born.

"When our daughter was born, I had to use my annual leave to support my wife. It was a precious time for us, but it also meant I had no leave left for the rest of the year. If paternal leave were available, it would have made a huge difference," Gador said.

Gador explained that he had requested paternity leave from his employer, but it was denied. Instead, he was told the time off would be deducted from his annual leave.

"I mentioned it to my boss, but he didn't seem very supportive. He said, 'We follow the Labour Act, and unless it changes, there's not much we can do,'" Gador said. 

Gador’s predicament is not unique, men who wish to take time off work to care for their newborns have to use their annual leave, subject to the approval of their employers.

"We all talk about it in the office. It's not right because the system doesn't recognize that we, as fathers, need that bonding time too," Joshua Lamptey, one of Gador’s colleagues said.

While the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) guarantees mothers at least 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, it remains silent on paternity leave.

According to Gador, this disparity excludes fathers from childcare and reinforces the notion that childcare rests solely on mothers' shoulders.

“The old and outdated notion that it is only a woman’s duty to care for children is wrong. It is changing actually; fathers are getting involved and the law has to reflect that,” Gador said.

Research shows that the absence of paternity leave perpetuates inequality and undermines efforts towards achieving a balanced workforce.

 Kelli Garcia’s 2012 research suggests that one reason employers prefer hiring men over women is that men typically do not take time off for childbirth, unlike women.

Some employers argue that the cost and logistics of implementing paternity leave will be challenging.

"We already struggle with staff shortages when women go on maternity leave. Adding paternity leave would increase that pressure," one HR manager at a financial firm who prefers to be anonymous said.

Serwah Agyemang, a 29-year-old mother, said she felt overwhelmed by childcare responsibilities after birth because her husband was not given any time off work.

"The first few months were exhausting," Agyemang said. "I longed for even a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. I wished my husband was there. The pressure fell entirely on me, which felt unfair to our baby and to myself."

She questioned why fathers are not granted the same opportunity to take time off to care for their newborns and argued that the absence of paternal leave places an undue burden on mothers.

“I don’t understand why men are not given paternity leave. The child is not only mine so why can’t the father go on leave too? It is really unfair and very stressful for us (mothers),” Agyemang said.

A 2020 research paper published in the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy indicates that when fathers take leave, it leads to numerous positive outcomes for families, including balancing the caregiving responsibilities and reducing the pressure on mothers and child development.

In 2023, a private member’s bill proposing an amendment that would extend maternity leave from three to four months and introduce paid paternity leave was brought before Parliament.

The Labour (Amendment) Bill, also known as ‘parental leave for all,’ proposes an introduction of paternity leave for a minimum period of seven days and a maximum period of four weeks, with an option for an additional two weeks in the case of a caesarean, stillbirth(s) or multiple delivery of a spouse.

According to Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu, who initiated the bill, maternity and paternity leave are important for both parents to have the opportunity to welcome and bond with their child.

“The father of the child at times is locked out of this exciting and important moment and the only chance he has is after working hours when he is already tired and exhausted,” Sosu said in a press briefing. "As such, the exclusion and silence of the law in regards to paternity leave are unfair and a clear indication of discrimination against men.”

A 2021 study conducted by McKinsey-McGill University on paternity leave found that men who took paternity leave viewed it as a positive experience, 100% were glad they took the leave and 90% noticed an improvement in their relationship with their partner.

Globally, countries that offer paid paternity leave include Canada, France, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

As more fathers like Gador push for change, it's clear that there is a dire need for paternity leave.

Introducing paternal leave could transform workplace culture, allowing fathers to fully participate in family life while promoting gender equality both at home and in the office.