• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Court Rules in Favor of Spanish Fathers' Breastfeeding Leave

Photo: Some rights reserved by RisagerCourt rules in favor of Spanish father's breastfeeding leave

Court rules in favor of Spanish father's breastfeeding leave

The European Union Court of Justice have ruled in favor of Spanish fathers of breastfeeding infants.  Specifically, Spanish fathers are now granted the same rights as their partners in order to prevent them from falling into a “subsidiary role”.  Spanish parents may take a breastfeeding leave consisting of an hour off during the middle of the work day or leave work a half-hour early during the first nine months of their infants life.

Although you may wonder why fathers  would need a breastfeeding leave considering they can’t lactate, the court ruling recognized the importance of family bonding.

Here is a review of what international papers are saying about the ruling:

  • National Post (Canada)

    To be fair, this is not how it sounds. The European Union Court of Luxembourg did not override the Spanish law because they have a hard time understanding anatomy and how the body works.  The breastfeeding break is meant to be a time where families can arrange their schedules to be close to their newborns without the stress of work getting in the way, and not so much about the literal act itself…

    The court found the Spanish law to be “unjustified discrimination on grounds of sex” because fathers did not enjoy the same rights.

  • The Malta Independent

    Not giving dads the same right as mums in this case “is liable to perpetuate a traditional distribution of the roles of men and women by keeping men in a role subsidiary to that of women in relation to the exercise of their parental duties,” the court ruled…

    The Spanish law was instituted in 1900 to facilitate breastfeeding by the mother, but it has evolved over the years and the right has been granted for bottle-feeding too, the EU court said.

    Breastfeeding leave should now be considered as “time purely devoted to the child” in order to reconcile family life and work following maternity leave, it said.

  • Times of India

    The Spanish man who challenged the law, Pedro Manuel Roca Alvarez, said his request to take breastfeeding leave from his job in Galicia was rejected because the mother of his child was self-employed.

    Such a refusal, the court said, could have the effect of forcing self-employed mothers to limit their work because the father cannot share the burden.

I find it interesting that the court is concerned about fathers in subsidiary roles, when women traditionally have held such a place in western culture.  I applaud the court’s ruling, but  I wonder if an hour a day is enough.  I also like how this law encourages breastfeeding beyond six months.

Spain has a history of supporting fathers.  Effective January 1, 2011, paternity leave will be extended from 13 days to four weeks, in addition to two paid days for each child born.   During the leave, fathers are compensated at the maternity rate by social security.

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« One Woman's Story: Breastfeeding an Adoptive Infant
Hank D and the Bee: Not a Ladies Man »

Comments

  1. Loretta Paraguassu says

    October 12, 2010 at 6:24 am

    The idea is a breath of fresh air in a country that has a machismo image. However, the language is laughable…and that’s too bad. A break for fatherhood would be a better choice, but there it is. Better than nothing. Good parenting makes for good children. Lucky the children who have two parents who care enough to be there.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1.   Court Rules in Favor of Spanish Fathers’ Breastfeeding Leave – Eco Child’s Play by Security Home USA says:
    October 12, 2010 at 6:32 pm

    […] Eco Child’s Play […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life!

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child's Play

Study Finds Correlation Between Roundup & Low Birth Weight

Study Finds Correlation Between Roundup & Low Birth Weight

School Yoga Reduces Children’s Anxiety

School Yoga Reduces Children’s Anxiety

More from the archives!

DEET Free: California Baby Natural Bug Repellent

Children's Health Care Reform to Come from Cigarettes

How to keep New Year’s Resolutions: Make them daily

Lead in Vitamins: How to Pick a Vitamin that is Most Likely to be Lead Free

Why does Codex Allow Greater Lead Limits in Grape Juice Than Water?

Why does Codex Allow Greater Lead Limits in Grape Juice Than Water?

The Full List of Baby Essentials That Aren’t From Cribs to Changing Tables

The Full List of Baby Essentials That Aren’t From Cribs to Changing Tables

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy
logo
Food Advertising by

Dad Does Breakfast: Easy Recipes for Healthy Eating

Make Paper Toys!

Green Home Cleaning:  Free of Parabens & Harsh Chemicals Molly Suds Laundry and Dog Wash

Green Home Cleaning: Free of Parabens & Harsh Chemicals Molly Suds Laundry and Dog Wash

Made in Canada: Natural Pod's Eco-Friendly, FSC Certified Wooden Kitchen Furniture Encourages Dramatic Play

WTF? Dance Moms:  8-Year-Old “Topless” Showgirls

WTF? Dance Moms: 8-Year-Old “Topless” Showgirls

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

Spend Less Money this Holiday Season

Spend Less Money this Holiday Season

Massive Toy Recall by Fisher-Price

Yoga Benefits All Children

Eco Friendly Fingerpaints

Do Natural Dishwasher Detergents Actually Work?

Copyright © 2018 · Divine theme by Restored 316

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.