Nine in ten women who look after children do not go to work. They spend about three times more time on housework and care than men, even if fathers can also take childcare leave. In 2019, fewer than 8,000 men profited from this opportunity. As a result, the women either do not manage to realize their potential in career or choose to have fewer children than they would like. This has a detrimental effect on families, the economy and the whole society. Such data were presented by UNFPA Moldova in a conference titled “Family-Friendly Policies in the Private Sector” that was held in Chisinau, IPN reports.
According to UNFPA Moldova, the family-friendly policies adopted by the governments and business communities in some of the countries led to an increase in the number of working women and brought more benefits. For example, fast access to breastfeeding facilities at the workplace had positive effects on the reduction of the frequency and length of post-natal depression, and reduced the risk of breast cancer. Furthermore, the investments made to set up these areas are recouped with a surplus of 200%.
Both the Government and the private sector should offer the parents flexible working programs, medical leave and leave for looking after sick or disabled family members, health programs for employees, breastfeeding areas and recreation rooms for children at the workplace so as to ensure a healthy community, economic growth and a positive demographic impact, conditions needed for developing the country’s sustainable development. That’s why the United Nations Population Fund, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, will help companies from the private sector and the Government to extend the family-friendly policies and practices, it was noted in the conference.
MP Dan Perciun, who heads the Parliament’s commission on social protection, health and family, said the state should create stimuli for men so that these want to become involved in family life more. Fathers can now go on parental leave in Moldova, but this leave should be extended. There are currently no real possibilities for mothers with small children to return to work as only one fourth of the children younger than three attend crèches. The state should support the businesses, but it is in their interests to have the employees back at work earlier and they should also become involved.
In the same conference, Vasile Cușca, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, said that 90% of the personal assistants looking after persons with severe disabilities are women, more exactly these are the mothers of persons with special needs. “We must think how to make both of the parents responsible so that they become involved in looking after these persons,” stated Vasile Cușca.
