Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Wise Immanuel, has said that currently, there is no law which caters for paternity leave benefits in the country.
The minister made these remarks in Parliament on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, after it was put to him that men are left out when it comes to paternity leave benefits. The question came after the minister had announced an increase from N$15 000.00 to N$20 000.00, effective 1 October 2026.
The minister made this announcement at a press conference held in conjunction with the Social Security Commission on the revision of the Maternity, Sick Leave and Death (MSD) Fund benefits.
“What is important to underscore is that we don’t have a category for paternity leave. The reason for that is that we do not have the statutory paternity entitlement in this country. Employers who give paternity leave to employees do it in terms of their own industrial policies. At the level of International Labour Organisation (ILO), we do not have a convention that compels member states to legislate or introduce paternity leave. This, however, does not take away the power of the state to create such a law,” Immanuel said.
He added that ILO Convention 156 speaks to workers with family responsibilities and the parity in parenting.
On 14 August 2025, Namibia deposited the instrument of ratification of the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), with the Director-General of the ILO, Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo.
Mr Gilbert Houngbo declared: “Convention No. 156 is a pivotal instrument for advancing equality of opportunity and treatment in employment, particularly by recognising the challenges posed by family responsibilities. Its significance lies in the obligation for ratifying states to ensure that workers with family responsibilities are not subject to discrimination in accessing employment, training, or career progression.”
Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Namibia
