Indonesian Government Set to Provide Paternity Leave to Male Civil Servants

TheIndonesia.co - State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas stated that the government will provide paternity leave for male civil servants to accompany their spouses who give birth.

This is one of the points of the Draft Government Regulation on State Civil Servants Management as the implementing regulation for Law Number 20 of 2023 concerning State Civil Servants. The draft regulation is targeted to be completed by April 2024.

“The government will grant leave rights to husbands whose wives give birth or miscarry," Anas noted in a statement from his ministry on Wednesday, March 13, as quoted by Antara.

According to the minister, several parties have voiced their aspirations about paternity leave rights. Currently, the government is seeking input from stakeholders, including the House of Representatives (DPR), regarding it.

He noted that earlier, leave for male civil servants whose wives gave birth was not specifically regulated. What is regulated is only maternity leave for female civil servants.

He further remarked that the paternity leave policy is already applied in several countries and multinational companies.

The duration for paternity leave varies, from 15 days to 60 days. It is currently being discussed with relevant stakeholders and will be regulated in the Government Regulation and National Civil Service Agency (BKN) Head’s Regulation.

“The government views that the role of the father is important in accompanying his wife while she is giving birth, including in the initial postpartum phases,” he remarked.

He further noted that with the presence of paternity leave, it is hoped that the childbirth process can run well, considering that it is an important phase to prepare the best human resources for the nation.

“In accordance with President Jokowi’s (Joko Widodo's) direction, this is one of the initiatives to continuously encourage the improvement of human resources from early on,” the minister stated.