South Africa’s Constitutional Court has delivered a groundbreaking ruling granting all parents equal parental leave rights, marking a major milestone for gender equality and family welfare. Previously, mothers received four months of leave while fathers were limited to just 10 days. The court, however, declared this law unconstitutional. This decision means that parents can now share the combined leave time as they see fit, promoting a more balanced approach to childcare from the earliest stages. The ruling celebrates the role of all parents, including fathers and adoptive parents, while challenging the outdated assumption that mothers must be the sole primary caregivers. While the new shared-leave entitlement is effective immediately, the court suspended the ruling for three years to give parliament time to amend the law.
BBC
