Maa Tujhe Salaam !

The central government has declared that women can now avail maternity leave up to six months. (It was initially 3 months). In addition to this, they can also take 2 years of paid leave as maternal leave. They may club this with the 180 days of maternity leave or spread it out and utilize it over a period of 18 years. What that actually means is, that a lady may choose to stay home for 2 ½ years or stay home for first 6 months or so and then use the rest of it later. When the child is sick, has exams, or needs nurturing at any point, till the child is 18. The scheme is applicable for 2 children. This, is a big relief to a lot of mothers.

I read an article by a mother of a 6 month old girl. This lady has recently shifted to Mumbai and has a nuclear family. She had to join her office, when her daughter was just 3 months old. They had no friends or family to take care of the baby. She had to leave the baby at a crèche with people she didn`t know from Adams. Her story was heartbreaking. So ,when I read the article about maternity leave ,I was very happy for her. But the bubble burst soon. I realized that the scheme was open only to central Government employees and not State government or the private sector.
And though,I welcome whatever little steps the government is taking , I still wish they would go faster and bigger. It is high time that a woman`s perspective is acknowledged and recognized. I met a friend recently ,who lives in the UK. She is very clear about not shifting base to India as UK is very child and woman friendly. She works as a supervisor in a primary school and puts in only 2 ½ days a week. She still earns enough to support her 2 school going children and manages to squeeze in a trip or two to India every year or so. Also ,she says that the terms are not so rigid. She has flexi options and can change her timings or days when her children need her. She also ,is never asked to stay beyond a certain hour as she is a single parent.
All this sounded like a fairytale to me. Just too good to be true. Now only ,if our Government and private sector would wake up and smell the coffee, we too could soar high. With so much of talent and potential around all we need is more women friendly policies.
But for now ,let us cheer for whatever little measures come our way. Just a passing thought- Why not grant a 3 or 6 month Paternity leave too? Dad`s are very much hands –on now and I am sure a lot of them would happily pitch in for child rearing. Hmmm , I am getting too greedy perhaps!