N.Z. co-sponsors remit on parental leave

Press, 25 July 1985, Page 1

N.Z. co-sponsors remit on parental leave

NZPA-Reuter Nairobi New Zealand has co-spon-sored a resolution at the World Women’s Conference in Nairobi asking Governments to consider introducing legislation providing parental leave for working parents. The resolution says such leave should go beyond the normal maternity leave for pregnancy, confinement, and breast-feeding to allow both parents to share the care of their children. “This resolution gives a good lead for action by New Zealand and other countries which still have some way to go on parental leave,” said Ms Helen Clark, the Government member of Parliament for Mount Albert, who is leading New Zealand’s delegation. One of more than 100 resolutions put forward for

debate at the conference, it has also been sponsored by Austria, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Italy, The Netherlands, the Philippines, Spain, and Sweden. It is in line with provisions in the New Zealand public sector whereby leave is available to either parent, and with the Government’s policy which already supports unpaid leave for either parent. In the preamble, the countries say responsibilities in family and social life should be shared equitably between men and women. Even in countries where parental leave is available, it is being used almost exclusively by mothers only, they say. Countries should encourage fathers to share the responsibility. This would both strengthen family ties

and be of benefit to the children, the resolution says. Meanwhile, in another resolution, the United States has called on countries to develop laws to protect women against domestic violence and to hold violent men accountable for their actions. Alluding to court procedures which often further victimise female complainants in cases of sexual violence, the resolution urges Governments “to develop or strengthen penal law procedures which protect the integrity and privacy of the abused person.” In another move, Australia, India, and Sweden have joined nine other countries urging Governments to give priority to reducing maternal mortality. The resolution points out that complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among women in many developing countries. “This risk is 100 times greater than for women in developed countries,” they say. “Most maternal deaths can be avoided through preventive care such as prenatal and family-planning services, the assistance of trained health personnel

during delivery, and prompt medical treatment of unavoidable complications.’ The resolution urges Governments, in co-operation with other organisations, tc make reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity a priority. Other resolutions call for greater moves towards equal opportunities for women in the workplace, international recognition of custody orders to prevent non-custodial parents illegally taking their children abroad, and the protection of women and children in zones affected by armed conflict. Because many resolutions cover common ground, a special committee has been set up at the conference to try to combine them with the consent of sponsoring countries. The final resolutions will be debated by the conference’s two main committees before going forward to the plenary session. Observers say that many could be subject to drastic amendment, particularly where they deal with controversial political issues such as Palestine, and the external debt burden faced by Third World countries.

Others, however, are almost sure to meet with universal approval. The conference is, for example, united on the need for Governments to pay more attention to the needs of disabled, elderly and migrant women. While all delegations are agreed on the need to monitor the progress of women in coming years, calls from Eastern bloc countries for a United Nations Nairobistyle women’s conference every five years have not met with favour from the West. Britain and some other Western countries are pushing for international women’s meetings to be part of the regular annual General Assembly of the United Nations. Others feel, however, that women’s concerns would be in danger of being submerged in such a forum, where the delegates are predominantly male. Ms Clark expressed the view of the New Zealand delegation that a special session of the United Nations in 1990 would be the most appropriate way of keeping women’s issues on the international agenda. “A special session in New York would have high visibility and would be a costeffective way to review progress,” she said.