The National Commission for Women has proposed a major change in India’s childcare policy, recommending gender-neutral Child Care Leave that can be shared by working parents. The recommendations are part of a 37-point report submitted to the Centre covering maternity benefits, paternity leave, childcare facilities, workplace discrimination and protection for women outside the formal workforce.
At present, the Central Government’s Child Care Leave framework is largely designed around women employees. The NCW has proposed dividing the existing 730-day entitlement equally between both working parents, giving each parent 365 days. Where both parents work in the same organisation, the commission has also suggested allowing them to use the leave from a common pool.
For children between zero and two years, the NCW has proposed a 60:40 shared-care model between primary and secondary caregivers. The idea is to make childcare a shared responsibility rather than leaving most of the burden with mothers.
The commission has also recommended extending Child Care Leave to employees in the private sector through a phased approach, beginning with large companies before expanding the system to medium and small enterprises. It has suggested bringing Child Care Leave within the framework of the Code on Social Security, 2020, along with incentives for employers that adopt family-friendly workplace policies.
The recommendations go beyond leave. The NCW has called for mandatory paid paternity leave in the private and unorganised sectors, arguing that fathers should have a formal opportunity to participate in childcare from the early stages of a child’s life.
For working women, the issue is closely linked to career progression. The commission has highlighted recruitment discrimination, slower promotions, salary disadvantages and the effect of career breaks on pensions and long-term professional growth. It has also called for measures to prevent women who take childcare leave from being viewed as less committed to their jobs.
Another major proposal is the creation of a National Childcare Infrastructure Mission, with a target of five lakh crèche seats by 2030. The NCW has suggested workplace crèches, shared facilities for groups of employers and contributions to a State Childcare Fund, along with national standards for childcare facilities.
The recommendations also address women working outside the formal economy. The commission has called for maternity and childcare protection to be extended to informal, gig and platform workers, noting that a large majority of women workers remain outside effective social-security coverage.
The report also proposes increasing certain benefits for adoptive and commissioning mothers and strengthening nursing and lactation support at workplaces. It has recommended longer nursing breaks and dedicated lactation facilities.
The NCW’s proposals are recommendations, not changes to the law. Their implementation would require decisions by the government and, in several areas, changes to existing rules and legislation.
The larger issue, however, is already visible in workplaces across India: when childcare is treated primarily as a woman’s responsibility, motherhood can carry a professional cost. A system that allows both parents to share that responsibility could change not only how families manage childcare, but also how employers view women’s careers after motherhood.
