Opinion Maternity and Paternity Leave By JULIET HINDELL	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
母親と父親の産休 母親と父親の産休 先月、橋本聖子参院議員が産休を取ったが、 筆者の母国イギリスでも、トニー・ブレア首相が チェリー夫人の出産時にどの程度休暇を取るかが 話題になっている。 男性も女性も働きながら家庭のために 休暇が取れることが理想だが…。

The people of Japan and Britain are currently discussing the same issue — whether or not to take time off for the birth of a baby. While some Japanese female politicians have just won the right to maternity leave, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is being watched to see how much paternity leave he takes.

Seiko Hashimoto, 35, the Upper House Diet member, became Japan's first woman member to take maternity leave last month when she gave birth to a baby girl.

Hashimoto is to be congratulated for campaigning in favor of women in politics and for attending parliamentary debates right up to the day before she had her baby. She persuaded the Upper House to change the rules regarding when members could take leave so they would include childbirth.

There are more women in the Upper House than in the Lower House, which, rather disappointingly, is still debating whether to introduce maternity leave. Without this right, few young women will want to commit to a life in politics. It should be natural to be able both to represent the voting public and to start a family.

The issue of paternity leave had probably not entered Tony Blair's mind when he was elected prime minister in 1997. But then his wife Cherie surprised the British public and got pregnant last year at age 45.

She is a high-flying lawyer in Britain but has rarely made political statements since her husband entered No.10 Downing Street. However, on the issue of paternity leave she has spoken out, saying she thinks her husband should set an example.

Men in Britain are entitled to take three months of unpaid leave to help with the birth of their child. At first, it looked as if Blair would not take any leave — affairs of state had to come first.

But now he appears to have fudged it — saying he will take "working paternity leave." He has the advantage of living next to his office on Downing Street and could pop over to a Cabinet meeting between changing nappies.

While Seiko Hashimoto has established a landmark for Japanese women, Tony Blair is looking decidedly wimpy when it comes to establishing the rights of British men to be with their babies soon after their birth. But I must say I doubt a Japanese male prime minister would even consider paternity leave.

This is a great shame, because many politicians would love Japanese citizens to have more babies. Companies, too, are worried about a childless Japan. The Bandai toy company recently announced that it would offer a 1 million cash bonus to staff who had a third child.

If women are to have any hope of competing equally with men, maternity leave must be a fundamental right. But I would argue, for the same reason, that paternity leave should be a fundamental right too.

Why should women be expected to deal with new babies without the support and help of the fathers? Of course men cannot breast-feed, but they can do everything else that it takes to look after the baby and, perhaps just as importantly, can look after the mother too.

Shukan ST: May 19, 2000

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