The third Sunday of June marks the date when the world celebrates father’s day. It is a day during which we remind ourselves of the sacrifices that our fathers make for us. Sacrifices that in my case, led to me being where I am today. Personally speaking, I am grateful that my dad was constantly there for me, from the moment I was born, throughout my educational journey and even when I entered politics. It goes without saying therefore that it is thanks to my dad and my mum’s upbringing and support, that I am where I am today.

We should not only remember our fathers only on father’s day, however. We should do this on a daily basis. And I’m happy to note that Europe walks the walk in this regard. In fact, it is thanks to the European Union that fathers now will be able to take at the very least 10 days of paternity leave at the time of birth of their child, which is also to be compensated at least at the level of sick pay. Although both mums and dads can, strictly speaking, take up to 4 months of parental leave, 2 months of this leave are non-transferrable, thereby encouraging fathers to take up more leave themselves.

Research has shown that when fathers are increasingly present when it comes to children’s upbringing, the family as a whole sees an increasing rate of happiness when compared to families where fathers are not present. Therefore, there needs to be a culture change in this regard, a culture change that recognizes the positive effects on families when fathers spend more time with their kids. Europe is already working hard in relation to this, offering protection from discrimination when it comes to fathers who wish to avail of parental leave. Union law guarantees protection for fathers who will take up such leave, both during as well as after the leave is taken, thereby ensuring that all fathers will have the chance to return to their jobs after they have made use of the leave available to them.

This and much more will be facilitated through the transposition and implementation of the EU Work-life Balance Directive, which was pushed forward with the intention of both providing proper work-life balance, as well as combatting discrimination and addressing female under-representation in the labour market. Apart from the measures mentioned previously, the directive also introduces carers’ leave, meaning that workers who provide care or support to a relative will be entitled to five days of leave every year. For parents having children up to eight years old, flexible working arrangements will also now be easier to achieve, given that the right to request such arrangements has been extended. I believe in the benefits of flexi-work and it is for this reason that some months ago I launched an initiative together with the General Workers Union, where we launched a flexi-work initiative incentivising further discussion on this topic both at EU and national level.

While I look forward to having this directive transposed into national law in Malta, I cannot fall short of commending the very relevant actions that the Government of Malta has taken when it comes to related measures. The free childcare services for all, as well as planned legislation which facilitates better work-life balance, including through better possibilities of remote working, are all signs that Malta is moving in the right direction.

Are we there yet, however? No, we are not, and we should not stop until we get there. As things stand right now, fathers are much less likely to use parental leave than mothers, and a balance needs to be reached if we are to truly achieve a better level playing field. Society imposes stereotypes on people, sometimes perhaps unknowingly. And it is our responsibility to see that these stereotypes are crushed. Until we get there however, happy Father’s Day from me to you!