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SUNDAY, August 23, 2015 / 8 Dhul Qa’ada 1436 AH
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Do fathers in Sultanate deserve paternity leave? PARENTAL LEAVE IN MIDDLE EAST (In days)
While some say men
Maternity leave
may misuse paternity benefits, others say it is ‘vital’ for fathers For the first child
Paternity leave
60
Bahrain
62
Iraq
70
Jordan
70
Kuwait
No paternity leave
49
Lebanon
70
Palestine
the mother at the
50*
Oman
time of birth and
50
Qatar
70
Saudi Arabia
1
120
Syria
6
to be able to support
immediately after
ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI elham@timesofoman.com
45
UAE
60
Yemen *
Private sector
MUSCAT: While there is a prevailing view in society that maternity leave should be longer, there are differing views about the costs and benefits of introducing paternity leave in Oman. According to the World Bank, the law in Oman does not ‘mandate paid or unpaid paternity leave’, and the question of whether or not the father of a new baby should be allowed away from work calls for a better understanding of the social fabric. While it is acknowledged that paternity leave would allow the man to support the mother and bond with the baby, some are of the opinion that it is not necessary and would not completely suit the prevailing culture in Omani society. Saada Mohammed Al Mamari, from the nutrition department of
Source: International Labour Organisation Graphics
the Ministry of Health, has been calling for longer maternity leave but believes that introducing paternity leave wouldn’t be a good idea. “Men may misuse it and do other activities instead of staying with the mother and helping her,” Al Mamari told the Times of Oman, and added that it is not necessary given the help provided by maids to mothers at home these days. Hasna Fahim Al Said, co-founder of the Women Organisation, says that Arab fathers are not attracted to paternity leave for several reasons and therefore it has
been deemed unnecessary. “Firstly, most traditional Arab fathers are pushed to earn an income to support the family while mothers handle babies and all the housework,” she said. In addition, the culture of Arab men is not supportive of the idea of taking care of babies, she said, noting that another reason is the fact that mothers usually can get support from their relatives. Susan Flower, president of the Women’s Guild in Oman (WGO), says the issue of paternity leave is multifaceted and the pros and cons should be taken into account.
TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES
OMAN
REGION
MARKET
Do consumers get a fair deal in Oman?
Top IS rebel killed in US air strike
OMR520m lost by investors this month
1
2
3
Many consumers now feel that they are short changed and powerless as prices are inflated or customers end up paying for something they have not ordered. There is no comprehensive consumer guide to help customers understand their rights or clear cut policies to ensure a fair deal. >A2
The second-in-command of the IS extremist group has been killed in a US air strike in northern Iraq. The National Security Council identified the slain militant as Fadhil Ahmad Al Hayali, also known as Haji Mutaz, and said he was IS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi’s senior deputy.>A7
Local and foreign investors on the MSM have lost a whopping OMR520 million in the last twenty-two days following a severe fall in share values as oil prices touched a sixyear low. The local bourse plummeted 7.14 per cent or 468 points. >B1
SEEB
Four injured in building collapse REJIMON K
MUSCAT: Four people sustained injuries following a building collapse in Seeb on Saturday, civil defence officials tweeted. “A building under construction collapsed in Seeb in which four people were injured,” Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) tweeted on its official Twitter handle.
No sleep for the weary
C7
W O R L D H E A LT H O R G A N I S AT I O N
Oman ranks among lowest in suicide rate in Arab countries ranked second SUICIDE RATE Oman lowest in GCC GDP per capita (thousand dollars) 0 20 40 60 80 100 Suicides per 100,000 inhabitants
25 20
India: 20.9
15 10
Bahrain: 7.3 Qatar: 4.7
5 0
UAE: 3.0 Kuwait: 1.0 Saudi Arabia: 0.3
OMAN: 1.0 Source: WHO
Graphics
TARIQ AL HAREMI
tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: While Oman ranks low in the suicide rate among Arab countries, the number of expatriates who kill themselves outnumber the nationals. In 2014, Oman recorded an annual suicide ratio of 1 per 100,000 people, which makes it 12th lowest among the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries and second lowest in the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Syria recorded the lowest ratio among Arabs with 0.4 suicides per 100,000, while Sudan recorded 17.9 suicides per 100,000
among the Arabs. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Oman is ranked among the lowest in the suicide ratio among Arab nations. Lowest ratios “We have one of the lowest suicide ratios, but most of the recorded cases involve expatriates,” said a source from the Royal Oman Police (ROP). “You do not find many Omanis choosing that path,” he added. Among expatriates there are several causes that drive people to the extreme. These include poor living conditions, disputes and homesickness, according to the source. >A6
“I can understand the benefits of paternity leave, especially for expatriate families where a new mother may not have support from an extended family close at hand and needs help from her husband, especially in the first few days with a new baby, if there are any complications during birth. It is also nice for new fathers to be able to have time to bond with their children, irrespective of nationality,” she said. However, there is a wider question as to how this might be funded, particularly for Omanis, as they have large families and as
such there would be significant cost implications if employees regularly take paternity leave, added Flower. “Conversely, in Omani culture, young families often live with their parents and/or other relatives or have extended family members close to hand, so in that respect paternity leave might not be necessary for the wider population,” she noted. “In addition, there is a separate but related debate about child care arrangements, and I can also see a benefit in a more flexible system with mothers and fathers free to divide a set amount of paid leave between themselves, which could be better for businesses. If women, for example, could hand baby over to her husband rather than rely on child care, she may be encouraged to return to work sooner,” said the president of WGO. Tonia Gray, general manager at Competence HR, says that it is ‘vital’ for fathers to be able to support the mother at the time of birth and immediately after. “Often, there are other children in the family that need the presence of a parent and if the mother is in hospital then this would possibly fall to the father, depending on whether there are other suitable family members to help. Even if there are, the father’s role is still critical to the mother and baby. Omani families are very close and there is likely to be an effective support network in place, but this is unlikely in the case for expatriates,” she said. >A6 Three-month maternity leave for women urged >A6
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SAFETY CONCERNS
Omani visitors shun Thailand travel plans after blast SALEH AL SHAIBANY saleh@timesofoman.com
MUSCAT: Travel agencies have reported numerous cancellations this month, and in September, from Omani visitors to Thailand due to safety concerns after last week’s bomb blast in Bangkok. Thousands of people from Oman spend their summer holidays in Thailand every year. The Far East nation also attracts medical tourists as well as business people from the Sultanate throughout the year. “Out of the 207 people booked to fly out to Bangkok, 146 cancelled their flights after the bomb blast. They did not mind losing the 10 per cent booking charges and preferred to stay at home,” Nitin Shekhar, a travel agent from Capital Travels, told the Times of Oman. On August 17, a bomb blast at the Erawan Shrine in the heart of Thailand’s capital Bangkok, killed 20 people and injured more than 120. Authorities say they are hunting for a foreigner who planted a backpack under the bench near the shrine and walked away just before the blast. Some travellers from Oman changed their bookings to destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and the Maldives. “Some 30 per cent of travellers who were due to travel to Bangkok asked for a refund, while over 50 per cent changed their destinations,” said Salam Al Haremi, a booking agent at Majan World Travels. >A6