"Fathers with strollers and a latte in their hands." Is the Scandinavian approach to maternity leave for men possible in Belarus?

A large forum entitled "Involving men and boys in promoting equality" started in Minsk today. On the emblem of the forum, two men are drawn – one in a kitchen apron preparing a meal, the second carefully feeding the baby. Yes, everything is so simple and difficult at the same time. The responsibilities and protection of children (what is known today as "invisible work") is the area in which women expect greater participation from men.

Kaspar Peak, country director of the United Nations Population Fund for Belarus, husband and father of two girls, spoke of the difference between the way boys and girls are traditionally raised. "Oh, how fast are you running, how strong you are," – surely the boy's parents will notice. While the girl will almost always say: "Oh, how pretty you are! What is your beautiful dress! " What is the result? According to Mr. Pick, the men in our area live ten years less than women, because the competitive way of life (which has a bigger car, a more beautiful house), in which one must always be "strong", does not not suitable for men. "It is not suitable for anyone" – considers Caspar Peak.

British ambbadador Fionna Gibb, one of the organizers of the forum, gave an example of a study by a team of British sociologists who spent several weeks in Belarus. After interviewing many women, they heard complaints of discrimination – they concerned the way in which job offers were written. "Blonde," "attractive," "21 to 35 years old" – that's what women see in job offers. And that's unacceptable, said the ambbadador.

An employee of the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, Pirjo Turk, said that the majority of women in this country were still engaged in cooking, laundry, cleaning, helping children during clbad and solving problems. with the school and the teachers. And most men in all home affairs are only responsible for repairing cars and sometimes fix something in the house if it breaks.

"Why is this happening? After all, we are not riding on "Zhiguli", which must be constantly repaired in the garage ", – Smiles Pirjo Turk.

Regarding time off to take care of a child, around 7,000 Estonian fathers in 2008 took advantage of this because the law allowed them to take 10 days' paid leave (the amount of the payments was three times higher than the average income). But in 2009, because of the economic crisis, child care leave was no longer paid. That year, less than 500 fathers benefited. Estonians have come to a logical conclusion: holidays should be financially beneficial, and fathers would be interested in spending more time with children. Therefore, since 2013, the country has resumed the practice of paid leave to care for a male child.

"We are still looking at the Scandinavian fatherhood model. Sweden is an example for us and we still have a long way to go, – said Pirjo Turk.

Loké Bisbierk, director of the Danish public organization DareGender, is eager to destroy idealized ideas about Scandinavian reality. It turns out that in Denmark, as in other Scandinavian societies, "women are still waiting for them to take care of elderly people and children, and women often accept such a role. to avoid feeling "bad." This situation is often facilitated by conservative parents and grandparents who use "traditional values".

As a result, he is expected from the man that he will provide to the family. And many business executives do not expect men to go on maternity leave or take sick leave when a child gets sick. But in 2019 in Denmark, a European directive will be adopted, according to which the parental leave will be divided between two parents: six weeks for the mother and six weeks for the father.

"In Denmark, men are less likely to take maternity leave than in other Scandinavian countries, Said Locke Bisbierk. – The men who do it: a) have a good education; (b) live in the big cities; c) work in the public sector. In big cities, we can often see such an image: the fathers roll the strollers and hold in their hand a cup of coffee with milk. "

But in the Danish province, the situation is different. Yes, and men who work in the private sector are not ready to take time off to take care of a child because not all companies give their employees a fully paid leave.

Where is Belarus in this European perspective? According to Valery Kovalkov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, the rule of law will change in the near future and the employer will be obliged to give this man 14 days of vacation during the first six months of his life. the child. Previously, this option was left to the discretion of the employer. In addition, Father's Day of a modest initiative of activists has turned into a big Belarusian holiday.

"The gradual break in the image of the father takes place in our society, – considers Valery Kovalkov. And emphasizes: – Gender policy is not a policy for women. It is an equality policy. "