Motherhood should not come at cost of women's careers: NCW chief

New Delhi, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has said motherhood should not come at the cost of a woman's career, stressing the need for shared parenting and stronger institutional support to help women remain in the workforce after childbirth.

In an interview with PTI, the National Commission for Women chief said raising a child is the equal responsibility of both parents and called for a supportive environment to enable women to balance their professional aspirations with motherhood.

"When a child comes into the home, the responsibility of that child belongs to everyone. It lies with the mother as well as the father. It is the equal responsibility of both," she said.

Rahatkar underlined the importance of childcare leave.

"Childcare leave is very important. And today, through the government, it is indeed being provided. Good work is being done. To ensure people get this even further below, in private companies, significant efforts are underway for that too," she said.

Women should be able to pursue their careers, fulfil their dreams and achieve their aspirations without having to compromise on motherhood, she added.

"If both together raise the children and if we proceed with the other recommendations we made for mothers, then those women will manage their households well, care for the child well, and won't have to take a gap in their career. They will continue their careers," the NCW chief said.

A mother should work with happiness and joy. Organisations that provide childcare facilities and support working mothers will also benefit from their contribution, Rahatkar said.

Last month, the NCW made 37 recommendations to the Union government to strengthen maternity and childcare protection, including extending gender-neutral childcare leave to private-sector employees, introducing mandatory paid paternity leave across sectors and creating 5 lakh creche seats by 2030.

The NCW had submitted its recommendations to the Department of Personnel and Training, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, proposing reforms across nine key areas, including maternity benefits, childcare leave, paternity leave, childcare infrastructure, nursing and lactation support, private-sector coverage and workplace discrimination.

Rahatkar said the recommendations were formulated after extensive consultations with various stakeholders and expressed confidence that they would be accepted.

"We had a very good consultation. We have spoken with many people and after that, we have formulated these recommendations," she said.

"... the government's perspective is not just about advancing women, but achieving the nation's development through women's leadership. We say this and we make full efforts to implement it," she said.

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