Maternity leave---- paternity leave----granmother's leave

Maternity leave is a given nowadays.Except in the US of course, the most progressive, women liberated modern country on earth.
 I was working in a government company and was entitled to 90 days maternity leave. But there was a clause, 48 days have to be taken before the child birth and 42 days after child birth. It was early eighties and being first generation of women officers, we never questioned the rationale. It was very inconvenient. The government (read, men officers working in personnel department) wanted to be sure, that they did not have a problem on their hands with women coming to work in their advanced pregnancy stage. They were just about getting used to women working in offices. So they made this clause. It did not bother them that 42 days is so insufficient to leave the baby and come for work. It is also a fact that women get married and get children fairly early in their careers. So did not have much leave to fall back on.

But then some many years down the road, the rule got tweaked a bit. It was three months and you could take it whenever you want, either before or all ninety days after the birth of the baby. We thought those ladies were very very lucky, to be receiving such generous 'gift of leave' from the management. Some more years passed  by and the maternity leave was extended to six months. Our children had come to high school by then, so it did not make us feel very sorry for ourselves to have missed such golden benefits of leave. We actually felt good for other ladies who could do some justice to the child, themselves and to their work in the office. Many years later I took voluntary retirement and was looking forward to becoming a grandma and my friend from central government told me that maternity leave is now one full year. Really! I was so happy that at long last there is some understanding, that the maternity leave that you are giving to a mother is not gratis. But it is what you are investing in the future generation.

Now two weeks of paternity leave is a given atleast in government offices. I think it is the same as the 48 days before and 42 days after maternity leave that we 'enjoyed' long long ago. Some leave should be given but not sure if we are being over indulgent on our women employees was the thought thread those days. Similar thread is for paternity leave. It is now grudgingly accepted that fathers also play a role in the birth and growth of a baby. But the scene is not yet clear as to what the role is. So just a token leave of two weeks is given. But with nuclear families being the norm, this is grossly insufficient. Both the father and mother have to take care of the kid. Not only that, fathers get to be with the baby and enjoy the bonding that takes place, never mind the dark circled eyes and no sleep nights. Welcome to parenthood! I think there will be a rethinking on this and there will be a time not too far into the future when paternity leave will be atleast 6 months.

Now we come to a new concept. In Indian families, still the mother of the girl takes care of her daughter and the baby before and after child birth. This is also the generation where large percentage of women are working in offices. These mothers are going to office, when the daughter has come home. She has a big role to play in taking care of her daughter and after the childbirth, taking good care of the baby too. But she does not get any leave. Mostly I have seen that the mothers also are occupying responsible positions which does not make it easy for them to dump office and take care of home and baby. Thankfully in a particular situation, the father had retired and could lend a hand(however effective that was) in holding fort, till the mother came back from office.

So I am making a case for granny's leave. When that is granted, granddad's leave will soon follow!