Should the Government Establish Paternity Leave in Costa Rica?

Costa Rican’s society should have a paternity leave policy as a part of the legal parental benefits provided by the government, if politicians are authentically committed to promote human investment and social development. Inconveniently, even though Costa Rica’s society in general seems to be receptive to the idea of having a paternity leave policy, the Costa Rican government does not think over the importance to Costa Rica’s children to be supported by both parents ― not only the mother ― in the nursing process, specially in the early years. Fortunately, not all the countries around the world adopt the same stance on that. Indeed, the European Union (EU) has included this relevant and progressive social assistance by reforming the former labor legislation of each nation member. In spite of that legal reformation, none of the European Union’s members regrets that decision because of the positive impact in child’s health and family’s stability reported by all those nations (EUROFOUND, 2006). Therefore, should Costa Rica’s government learn such lesson?

The Government of Costa Rica should establish a paternity leave policy because of two main reasons. First at all, paternity leave redeems the importance of the father’s presence for the child. This condition represents its best strength because it highlights the unique benefits from father’s affection for children’s mental stability and health. Regarding a “research context” (Ruhn, p.2), the father’s presence at home during early years “emphasizes the long-lasting effects of early environmental influences on brain development” in children (Rhun, p. 2). Secondly, this initiative would provide gender equality for Costa Rican society, not only at work but also at home. In others words, such a social benefit promotes the necessary setting for sharing family responsibilities for taking care of children and home.

The main counter-argument some people may argue is that the mother is more important for children because she is the one who feeds the baby. Diametrically opposed, feeding the baby is not the only responsibility that parents are supposed to have. For instance, love, care, and protection are as important as feeding. In addition, some others say that paternity leave would be too expensive for the companies and the state. On the contrary, this social initiative helps the economy because much more women would have the advantage of getting a job more easily, even if they do not want to have children ever. Unfortunately, there are always been employers that only think of money ignoring employee’s rights. However, they must be denounced because disrespecting labor rights ― as parental leave, in general ― is an illegal practice. Another common counter-argument refers to the belief that the mother is the one in charge of raising the children. Nevertheless, this is no more than an old and chauvinistic way of thinking. Indeed, there are about 3% of fathers ― considered as good or adequate ones ― who raise their children alone because the mother has left the family, and “over 70 percent of fathers (living in couple) with the right to the paid leave took it” in 1997, according to Norwegian’s national statistics.

Costa Rica’s modern society must urge and put pressure on both the National Parliament and Government to approve quickly such kind of pioneer social benefits. Also people will have to be educated about this social subsidy, and in which cases it would be applied. Finally, the most convenient way to introduce this initiative is gradually in order to permit people (employers and employees) to adapt paternity leave more easily.

Paternity leave allows the father’s presence during the early years which constitutes a significant investment in child development, focusing on the role of dynamic complementarities between the father and the mother. Considerations only based on monetary policies must be taken out from people’s mind ― specially politicians ― to start having a better country to live. It is definitively Costa Rica’s people’s responsibility not only to urge the government and the National Parliament to pass a paternity leave act but also to make them think over about the benefits that this leave would bring for Costa Rica’s families and Costa Rica’s society in general.

Manuel Soto