Parental leave in South Africa : bridging the gap between gender roles and the right to equality

Abstract

Equality. A concept at the heart of many a discussion in South Africa yet a concept far from being truly realised. The research paper titled, ‘Parental Leave in South Africa: Bridging the gap between gender roles and the Right to Equality’ examines the concept of parental leave and how the implementation of a parental leave policy can assist in achieving equality. The researcher will show that there is a direct link between the implementation of a parental leave policy and higher female workforce participation, a decrease in discrimination based on gender in the workplace, a more balanced share of childcare responsibilities between parents, a better environment for the child in question and most importantly a decrease in sex-role gender stereotypes. In order to facilitate such a discussion, the current leave policy and proposed Labour Laws Amendments Act in South Africa as well as the International position on parental leave policies is discussed in Chapter one. The sex-role stereotype of men as breadwinners and women as primary care-givers is discussed in Chapter two. Chapter three delves into the concept of a shared leave policy, currently adopted by Sweden as an ideal solution. Chapter three also sets out the researchers proposed parental leave model adapted to suite the South African climate. Chapter four elaborates on the benefits such a shared-parental leave policy would have on the child with the principle of the best interest of the child forming the basis of the discussion. The final Chapter will serve as a conclusionary chapter summarising the researcher’s position.