男性育儿假(nánxìng yùérjià): Male parental leave

The Jiangsu provincial government released a local implementation measure for the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women on Saturday for public opinions. Article 26 of its implementation measure stipulates that men are entitled to no less than 15 days extra leave when their spouse is on maternity leave in addition to the 15 days paternity leave granted by the law. This means that men in Jiangsu province can enjoy at least 30-days leave when their spouse is on maternity leave.

The Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Trade Unions and Jiangsu Provincial Women's Federation told the media that the joint paternal and maternal leave aims to promote the sharing of childcare between husband and wife.

The new regulations aim to enhance the public's awareness that raising children is not only the mother's responsibility. Male parental leave actually clarifies that men have a shared responsibility for raising children, said the officials of Jiangsu Provincial Women's Federation.

After the implementation measure takes effect, qualified male employees will be able to apply for the parental leave. If an enterprise refuses to approve the leave, the employee can complain to the trade union.