The application to set the paternity pay is submitted in person by the father and the mother of the child within 12 months of the birth of the child, to the house of social insurance close to the domicile or workplace or electronically on www.cnas.md or www.servicii.gov.md, said the National House of Social Insurance (CNAS) that joined the information campaign to encourage fathers to be more involved in childcare activities that is carried out by UNFPA Moldova, IPN reports.

Through the agency of the campaign, the new or future fathers are encouraged to benefit from 14-day paternity leave during the first 56 days of life of the child. For this period, the parent gets a monthly allowance that is paid from the social insurance fund. For the information about this right to reach more persons, the CNAS in 2021-2022 will disseminate about 60,000 brochures.

Since 2016, the employers have been obliged to offer paternity leave to the applicants. There are yet stereotypes in society that prevent many men from benefiting from it. Besides the fact that the presence of the farther near the child during the first moments of life helps this to develop healthier from physical, mental and emotional viewpoints, the women are less predisposed to depression after giving birth and the relationship between the partners becomes stronger. Statistics show only 14% of the new fathers in 2020 benefited from this privilege.

The campaign was launched before the International Day of Families as part of the UNFPA-ADA regional program “Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans and Moldova” that is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.