Baby dolls in slings are being tied to statues in the UK to solve the issue of paternity leave

An unusual sight was seen in central London this week, as bundles of joy were strapped to statues of male figures. In the United Kingdom, male statues were seen in baby carriers with baby dolls wrapped around their chests. A kneeling statue of footballer Thierry Henry outside the Emirates Stadium in Holloway had a brightly coloured orange sling with a baby doll inside. A bronze statue of Gene Kelly in Leicester Square, recreating his iconic ‘swinging from a lamppost’ pose, had extra weight on his hands other than just an umbrella and a mustard coloured baby carrier in front of him. The gimmick is gaining attention in the UK and around the world, and there’s good reason for it.

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Photo Credit: Instagram/@Mamamia_Family

The campaign is being led by The Dad Shift, who describe themselves as “a group of men, fathers and co-parents who are campaigning for proper paternity leave in the UK”. Supported by Wrap a Hug, the label who created the sling for the campaign, it is designed to draw attention to the role of fatherhood in a family. The main aim of the campaign is to address the topic of paternity leave in the UK and how the lack of it affects fathers, parents and the family structure as a whole.

The UK offers two weeks of paternity leave, which is paid, according to The Guardian 184 (approximately Rs 20,300) per week. In comparison, paternity leave has been increased to 20 days in European countries like Belgium and Finland has given the same quota of 160 parental allowance days to both parents as per the directives of the European Parliament. In India, there is currently no mandatory law on paternity leave for employees in the private sector, but as per the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules of 1972, male government employees are entitled to 15 days of paternity leave.

The issue of paternity leave may seem like it only affects fathers of new babies, but the truth is that its impact is much broader. Increasing paternal leave would not only lead to a better bonding and parenting experience for new fathers, but it would also allow them to take on more responsibility in their family structure. Thus, they could reduce the burden that often falls on new mothers so that they can re-enter the workforce or attend to duties other than raising their baby.

The campaigners have sent an open letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer with their requests. It cites research that shows “countries that have six or more weeks of paternity leave have a 4% lower gender pay gap and a 3.7% lower workforce participation gap, meaning the change could help grow the economy while also supporting British families.”

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