“Look how good it sounds – Paternity leave!”  

In June 2020, the RA Labor Code was amended, which established the possibility of paid paternity leave. Thus, according to part 1 of Article 176.1 of the RA Labor Code, “Within 30 days after the birth of the child, at the request of the father of the child, a paid leave of 5 working days is provided, each day of which is paid in the amount of the employee’s average daily salary.”

Let’s remind that before that, in the RA Labor Code, fathers had the opportunity to use only free leave, which, according to Article 176, is provided to the husband of a woman who is on pregnancy and childbirth leave, as well as on leave to take care of a child under one year old. The total duration of such leave may not exceed two months. According to experts, this provision has been used only a few times since its entry into force. Men do not take advantage of the opportunity established by law, firstly, because the vacation is at their expense, secondly, they are afraid of losing their jobs or being ridiculed by others.

In the annual report “Women, Business and Law” 2022 World Bank welcomed the legislative reforms in 23 countries, including Armenia, aimed at introducing paid paternity leave. Moreover, in the rating list of this report, Armenia has improved its position compared to previous years due to the implementation of these legislative changes.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs informed WomenNet.am that they do not have statistics on how many fathers have taken advantage of the paternity leave provided by law.

What does the research show?

According to the report “Men and Gender Equality in Armenia” conducted by the United Nations Population Fund in 2015-2016, about 12% of men and 10% of women surveyed in Armenia stated that they organize child care together, 57% of women surveyed % and 2% of men said they do it alone.

6% of men said that they change the baby’s diapers and clothes one by one, 4% of women said something similar. 0.6% of men and 45% of women said that they do it alone.

7% of men said that they bathe the child together, 4% of women said something similar. 1% of men and 51% of women said they mostly do it alone.

A 2022 survey conducted by the UNFPA Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the UN-Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia using the same methodology gives an opportunity to see the issue in comparison with other countries. Thus, the results of the “Baseline Study of Stereotypes in Eastern Partnership Countries” document that household dynamics continue to be dominated by the perception that women should primarily be housewives and mothers.

In all surveyed countries, the majority of women state that they are primarily responsible for performing unpaid domestic work. Six out of ten women (60%) in Moldova expressed this belief, three quarters of women in Ukraine (71%) and Belarus (79%), nine out of ten women in Armenia (89%) and Azerbaijan (92%).

According to the researchers, women’s and men’s active involvement in childcare is an important part of identity. However, they both tend to emphasize their role in supporting children’s upbringing, education and entertainment, rather than their participation in daily household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, changing the baby’s diapers and clothes, and feeding them.

The report’s authors highlight that support systems and policies that help break down gender stereotypes around caregiving roles and support women’s work and fathers’ involvement in domestic work are limited. Maternity leave, flexible parental leave and general leave arrangements remain unavailable or inadequate in Eastern Partnership countries.

Overall, women and men in Eastern Partnership countries believe that progress has been made towards achieving gender equality. The majority of women and men in Georgia (75% and 70% respectively), Armenia (67% and 55% respectively) and Belarus (61% and 52% respectively) believe that women and men are more equal today than in their childhood.

Based on the findings of the study, a series of six recommendations were made to promote progressive and egalitarian norms, relationships and practices in Eastern Partnership societies.

For example, it is recommended to strengthen the principles of gender mainstreaming and gender equality in national education systems. Education shapes how people will see and understand the world around us, and as such, education is a key driver of positive social change. Therefore, it plays a key role in the formation as well as maintenance of stereotypes.

It is also recommended that media platforms develop the capacity of key actors so that messages and communication do not reproduce or promote gender stereotypes, but instead encourage diversity and equality.

The study authors recommend national communication campaigns promoting more equal gender norms, including drawing attention to positive and equal views of marriage, emphasizing the value of male involvement in childcare and household chores, and raising awareness of the importance of preventing gender-based violence.

According to experts, governments and the private sector can build on the high value of women’s and men’s contributions to labor market participation and access to decent work by developing policies and services that support women and men to combine their family and work lives, including paternity and parental leave. schemes, flexible working arrangements for mothers, fathers and carers of the elderly.

Full text in Armenian