China News Weekly reported that Gan Huatian, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and West China Hospital of Sichuan University, said in an interview with reporters a few days ago that in order to build a childbirth-friendly society and reduce the cost of parenting, he proposed to extend the paid "parental leave" for women for two years until the child goes to kindergarten. This proposal aims to increase fertility intentions while also contributing to the growth and development of infants and young children.
Committee member Gan Huatian believes that the current maternity leave system is still relatively limited for women and cannot fully meet the needs of maternal and infant health and the development of parent-child relations. The proposal to extend paid "parental leave" for women to two years would allow women to spend more time caring for their children, address maternal and child health issues, and reduce financial pressure on families.
Committee member Gan Huatian further pointed out that in addition to paying attention to women's rights and interests, it is also necessary to take into account the labor costs faced by enterprises and institutions during childbirth leave. During the extension of paid "maternity leave" for women, some enterprises may face labor shortages or increased labor costs, so they need to provide corresponding support and supporting measures in the process of policy implementation. Only in this way will companies be more willing to hire women and avoid the problem of gender discrimination.
Committee member Gan Huatian also emphasized the role of men in child-rearing. He proposed extending maternity leave for men so that men could spend enough time to care for their children during childbirth, while reducing the burden of family support for women. He pointed out that raising children was the responsibility of both spouses and that it would be unfair if it was borne by women alone. Moreover, in the market, the employment cost of nannies is relatively high, and if the maternity leave for men can be extended, the cost of raising the family can be reduced to a certain extent.
Reasonable extension of paid "maternity leave" for women and maternity leave for men can enable families to have more time and resources to take care of their children after they are born, increase their willingness to have children, and promote the healthy growth of infants and young children. In addition, this initiative will reduce the gender discrimination women face in the job market and allow women to better manage their time at work and home when they become mothers. At the same time, the extension of maternity leave for men also contributes to gender balance and equality between men and women in the family.
At present, Gan Huatian's proposal has not been formally adopted, but this viewpoint has attracted some attention. For the construction of a childbirth-friendly society and the promotion of the implementation of population policies, all sectors of society need to further study and fully consider the interests and problems of all parties, formulate more comprehensive and reasonable policy measures, and provide a better nurturing environment and conditions for each family.