WILLEMSTAD – Opposition party MAN is calling on Curaçao Parliament to accelerate the legislative process for a proposal that would grant employees ten days of fully paid paternity leave following the birth of a child. Parliamentary faction leader Giselle Mc William has formally requested Parliament President Fergino Brownbill to place the initiative bill on the agenda of the Central Committee, allowing lawmakers to begin discussing the proposed legislation.
According to MAN, the bill is ready for parliamentary consideration after undergoing several revisions in response to recommendations from the Social and Economic Council (SER) and the Advisory Council.
The proposal seeks to introduce a general legal entitlement to paid paternity leave, something that currently does not exist for employees in Curaçao's private sector.
Under the present system, fathers who wish to spend time at home following the birth of their child are generally dependent on arrangements with their employers or must use their accumulated vacation days.
MAN wants to change this situation by establishing a statutory right to ten days of leave with full salary compensation.
The leave would have to be taken within six weeks following the child's birth.
The proposed legislation would apply not only to married fathers but also to qualifying employees with a life partner and employees who have legally acknowledged the child.
The entitlement would be calculated according to the employee's normal working hours, ensuring that the legislation also accommodates individuals who work fewer than five days per week.
Social Insurance Bank Expected to Cover Costs
The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) has estimated that introducing paid paternity leave would cost approximately XCG 300,000 to XCG 400,000 annually.
According to the explanatory memorandum accompanying the bill, this would represent approximately 1.5 percent of the expenditures of the Sickness Insurance Fund.
The SVB has indicated that the fund would be capable of absorbing the additional expenses without requiring supplementary financial measures.
To facilitate the arrangement, the initiative bill also proposes amending the National Ordinance on Sickness Insurance.
This amendment would allow eligible employees to receive benefits during their paternity leave, ensuring that they do not lose income while temporarily staying home to care for their newborn child.
The financial assessment is an important component of the proposal because it addresses how the new entitlement would be funded.
Curaçao Behind Other Kingdom Countries
MAN also points to differences between Curaçao and other countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Aruba already provides a statutory entitlement to two days of paid paternity leave, while Sint Maarten has a seven-day arrangement.
In the European Netherlands, partners are entitled to one week of fully paid birth leave, followed by a maximum of five additional weeks of leave for which benefits are available under certain conditions.
With the proposed ten-day arrangement, Curaçao would establish its own statutory framework for allowing fathers to spend time with their newborn children without sacrificing their regular income.
MAN argues that the legislation would support greater involvement by fathers in childcare and contribute to a more balanced distribution of family responsibilities.
The party also believes that allowing fathers to take paid leave could help mothers during the period immediately following childbirth and improve opportunities for women to return to work.
Parliament Asked to Move Forward
The request submitted by Mc William represents another step in a legislative process that has already undergone several rounds of consultation and amendment.
According to MAN, the recommendations received from the SER and the Advisory Council have been incorporated into the revised proposal, making it ready for consideration by Parliament.
The next step would be for the Central Committee to examine the bill before it can proceed through the remaining stages of parliamentary consideration.
The legislation has not yet been approved, and the proposed entitlement will not take effect unless the necessary parliamentary and legislative procedures are completed.
MAN is now urging Parliament President Brownbill to schedule the proposal so that lawmakers can begin discussing the details and determine whether the legislation should move forward.
If adopted, the measure would introduce a general statutory right to fully paid paternity leave for eligible employees in Curaçao, replacing the current situation in which many fathers must rely on employer arrangements or vacation days to spend time with their newborn children.