South Africa must review its legislation around paternity leave, Minister in the Presidency Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Monday.
"It is totally insufficient," said the minister about the three days' paternity leave currently granted to new fathers.
"You know what usually happens, you have legislation, you implement it - then you discover gaps, then you want to review, then amend," the minister told journalists in Pretoria.
She said that while South Africa had "a forward looking" labour relations act, paternity and maternity leave must be reviewed. This was because women did not necessarily enjoy fully paid maternity leave while men only received three days paternity leave.
Tshabala-Msimang said the country was seeing "more and more men attending the births of their babies".
"We must encourage family-friendly policies, which will encourage a paradigm shift in that employees of both sexes are given the same opportunities to organise their family and work responsibilities," she said.
The minister was speaking ahead of the United Nations meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York from March 2-13.
A delegation of 45 people from SA would "share" its lessons with the world at the meeting, said Tshabalala-Msimang.
She said that the equal sharing of responsibilities between men and women would promote the quality of lives of South Africans but changing legislation needed to be done in consultation with all relevant parties and the public, said Tshabala-Msimang.
She added that men needed to be encouraged to share responsibility in raising children while adding that the country was working under "enormous pressure" to advance women. - Sapa