Assam Cop Carries Baby To Work: How Society Continues To Fail Working Moms

There is a picture doing rounds on social media of a woman cop from Assam, seen carrying her seven-month-old baby to work. Reports suggest that the police constable has to bring her baby to work as her application for a leave extension has not yet been approved. "I have no one at home to take care of my baby so I am forced to bring her along with me. It gets uncomfortable at times but I have no other option," she said. Now should we appreciate the cop for her dedication towards her work and duties as a mom, or should we hang our heads in shame for failing to create a support system for her and others in her situation, who find themselves without any social support during their journey as new mom?

It has also been reported that the constable's husband is a Central Reserve Police Force jawan who is currently posted away from the state. And while she is grateful to her colleagues and the police department for being so accommodating, being a working mom who is also in-charge of childcare singlehandedly comes with a lot of challenges for the 27-year-old cop. “I do leave a little early as it gets very difficult for the baby to be with me throughout the day,” she said.

The cop's dedication to her work is applause worthy, yes, but should she have to bring her baby to her workplace at all? Or carry it around through the day as she goes about performing her duties? Doesn't this glorify the notion that if working moms want to succeed at work they have no other option than to multitask and overwork. This is also the reason why I am against celebrity moms joining back work within days, weeks of delivering a baby. Do we really need to encourage this culture of new moms throwing themselves back into the grind when they should be focusing on healing and resting instead? Also while celebrities can get all the help they need with taking care of their babies but what about common people, they really have no support, and this sets a wrong precedent.

Assam cop viral photo: Failure of the system

I would call it total collapse of a system which does not provided a support system for its women employees. “I think crèche is a still foreign/remote concept/need when you don't even have proper clean well equipped and well maintained WCs and a dedicated breastfeeding space in most government offices/banks/public places etc. More power to the women of India,” pointed out one Twitter user, while another tweeted, “Very sorry state of affairs... no glorifications... its a failed system. Repeatedly. The infant has to suffer for all this.” Yes I agree, numerous Indian women step out to work without any special provisions for them at workplaces.

Suggested Reading: Assam Cop Denied Leave Extension, Forced To Bring Seven Month Old Child To Work

No support at home

India has already transitioned to a nuclear family approach; it is challenging to have help from home. Moreover, couples have shifted from their hometowns for corporate jobs across different locations and government servants are posted to remote places most of the time. If they plan to have a baby then it’s their responsibility to care for it too. In India even though Paternity Leave is given to men, they seldom take over the nappy changing and bottle cleaning and bathing and putting the baby to bed chores. That’s a woman’s job right?

Women are made to choose

If women so much as ask for support and help from their family or spouse, they are simply told to quit their job. For isn’t becoming a mom the only job that should matter to a woman? So, if women want to continue working, they are expected to bear the burden of responsibilities without ever complaining about them or asking for help.

Has anybody asked this cop mom how many hours is she on foot carrying her baby around? Where does she feed or change the diapers of her infant? I don’t think so. We see a picture like that and we go ‘wow’ she a superwoman. Forgetting what all she undergoes each day.

Maternity leave not enough

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017 was passed by the Rajya Sabha in the year August 2016, and was approved by the Lok Sabha in March 2017. According to it, paid maternity leave in India has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for working women.

Agreed that’s a benefit, but infants need care at all stages of their lives and not just for six months. What does a mother do after her maternity leave is over? Hire a nanny? Then how dependable is the nanny? Is she in a position to pay for a nanny? Depend on her family’s support? Will her spouse help out?

Suggested Reading: Working Moms Have To Make Tough Calls. But You Do What Needs To Get Done

These are the initiatives that women will actually benefit from

First, mothers will really benefit from flexible and remote work options. They should no longer be ‘nice to have’ but ‘must have’ options. If organisations really care for their women employees they will consider this without cutting down on monetary benefits. Second, or maybe they can think of an additional allowance for mothers in their offices so that they can hire help. Third option, which could help women like this Assam-based cop- who can't have the provision of remote working, is to have a crèche or child care area in all private and government run offices and permission for women to take breaks to go and monitor their infants.

It’s because of benefits like these that women demand or look for in a workplace that employers are reluctant to hire them, however well qualified they maybe. But then organisations need to understand that if they claim to support gender equality in their workplace then they have to give such provisions so that both genders can participate in childrearing duties and women don't have to choose between career and motherhood.

Here's hoping the cop seen in viral photo gets the extended leave that she applied for, because creating a support system for working moms is going to take a long time.

Views expressed are the author's own.