At the end of last month, published a combination of the Japanese government's pressure enterprise , forced menAccording to the news of the staff of infant leave, the summary is that in order to actively build an environment for childcare and childcare, Japan implements the system of male nursery.However, in view of the local corporate culture, many men are "embarrassed" to rest their birth or childcare leave. The application rate in 2022 is only 17.1%.
Singapore, which also faces the challenge of the declining child, announced the white paper in women's development in 2022. A series of suggestions for promoting equality in the workplace, including encouraging more parents to use parenting leave, especially accompanying leave.Since this year, local men have increased their salary with maternity leave from the previous two weeks to four weeks, and the salary of employees shall be borne by the government.
Reports on related topics, they generally focus on the resistance that men apply for childcare leave when they apply for parenting leave.For example, you have to face the lack of empathy, or worry about applying for such holidays will affect the perception of his boss and colleagues in his work performance.
It is undeniable that it is quite challenging to implement such measures in the local private corporate community, because compared with France or Nordic countries, our companies are far from this family culture.However, although the transformation of corporate culture is a major element of eliminating gender discrimination in the workplace, it is also important for individuals' clear statements and willingness.
The "reserved" of Japanese men can't help but think of it, is there a lot of Singaporean men. I still feel that applying for a companion or parenting leave is something that should be "embarrassed", so it is difficult to speak?If the wife is a professional woman, will they think that the other half makes such an application is easier?When a child is sick or needs to be accompanied, will men feel that women have requested their requests to their bosses, which is more "reasonable"?
Compared with the more conservative Japanese society, the situation in Singapore must not be so extreme.Taking the accompanying leave as an example, the data of the Ministry of Social and Family Development showed that 47%of the father who applied for accompanying maternity leave in 2016 was rising to 55%by 2019.After the increase of salary accompanimental leave, whether this data will increase significantly next, it will be seen.
As far as my own observations and experiences, Singapore's men actively play the role of father's role are traceable.Recently, the primary school that the child attended invited parents and principals for breakfast to exchange education ideas.Among the attendees, about a quarter of them were father, some came with their wives, and some participated alone.At the question and answer session, half of the questions came from his father.
Bring children to parent -child music classes on weekends, nearly 10 children in the class, at least one person is accompanied by his father.There are different gain courses on the road. Not only are mothers, helpers, but also dads waiting outside the door.In addition, a 30 -year -old colleague became a novice father at the beginning of the year, and from time to time, he would discuss with me how to help his wife more properly.Now, he is also more consciously planned. At the time of the situation, he is responsible for home office and sharing home to take care of newborns.
Singapore's fertility rate continued to decline last year, only 0.97.This is the first time that Singapore's fertility rate has fallen below 1.0. It has always been the lowest and far below 2.1 population replacement level. It is similar to South Korea and other countries. It is at the bottom of the world.
Encouraging men to play a good husband and father in family life, whether it can effectively alleviate the condition of low fertility rate, unknown, after all, the trend of not marriage and unwillingness to give birth is caused by multiple factors.
But in my opinion, whether it helps to fertility or not, around the discussion of the next generation, it should not be reduced to a fair dispute between the sexes.More importantly, if you say that you must work together to form a family, the two parties should take practical actions so that each other feels that they are going all out for a common goal, rather than fighting alone.
