سياسة الأبوة

SDG 5: Gender Equality — Policy 5.6.9.

Contents

1. Policy statement and purpose

2. Legal framework and mandate

3. Scope and applicability

4. Paternity provisions for faculty and staff

5. Paternity provisions for students

6. Support for women’s participation through encouraging fathers’ childcare duties

7. Protection and reporting

8. Monitoring and review

1. Policy statement and purpose

1.1. Qassim University is committed to upholding the highest standards of equality, justice, and the preservation of personal dignity for every single individual.

1.2. This document — Qassim University’s paternity policy (hereinafter: Policy) — establishes the framework for providing paternity leave and support for male students, faculty, and staff following the birth of their child.

1.3. The university affirms its commitment to actively supporting women’s participation by ensuring that fathers can participate in childcare duties, thereby promoting shared parental responsibilities and reducing the disproportionate burden on female faculty, staff, and students.

2. Legal framework and mandate

2.1. This Policy is established in alignment with the highest legal and strategic directives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which uphold the principles of fairness and non-discrimination. The directives and their provisions are listed below in this section.

2.2. Saudi Vision 2030 — Supports the national objectives of providing equal opportunities for all citizens to build their future and increasing participation in the national workforce.

2.3. Labour Law (Royal Decree No. M / 51, amended) — Regulates entitlements for male employees:

• Fathers are eligible for three days of paid paternity leave following the birth of a child;
• The leave must be taken within seven days following childbirth.

2.4. Civil Service System (Article 1) — Upholds the principle that merit is the basis for employee selection, applying the same regulations regarding appointment, promotion, and wages for all.

3. Scope and applicability

3.1. This Policy applies universally to all male students, faculty, and staff across all colleges, departments, research centres, and administrative units affiliated with Qassim University.

4. Paternity provisions for faculty and staff

4.1. Leave entitlement:

• Duration — A male employee (faculty or staff) is entitled to three days of paid paternity leave;
• Timing — The leave must be taken within seven days following the birth of the child;
• Notice and documentation — The employee is required to notify the relevant administrative unit (i.e., Human Resources) and provide necessary documentation (e.g., official notification of birth) to substantiate the leave request.

4.2. Work flexibility and support:

• Flexible working — Upon return to work, the university encourages managers and department heads to approve, where operationally feasible, flexible working arrangements for a short period to aid the transition to new family dynamics;
• Non-discrimination — The use of paternity leave shall not be a factor in decisions related to an employee’s performance review, promotion, remuneration, or access to professional development.

5. Paternity provisions for students

5.1. The university shall implement the following measures to ensure academic continuity and support for male students who become fathers:

• Short-term absence — Students shall be granted up to three days of authorised absence for the birth of a child without academic penalty. This must be requested from the relevant Deanship (e.g., Student Affairs) and supported by documentation;
• Academic accommodations — For students whose return to studies coincides with a major examination or assignment deadline, the Deanship of Student Affairs and the relevant department shall facilitate reasonable academic accommodations, such as short extensions, where possible;
• Counselling and support — Male students shall have equitable access to student services, including academic advising and psychological support services, to help manage the balance between academic life and new family responsibilities.

6. Support for women’s participation through encouraging fathers’ childcare duties

6.1. Qassim University is committed to fostering a culture of shared parental responsibility to support the participation and career advancement of female students and employees:

• Policy promotion — The university will actively promote this Policy to encourage male employees and students to utilise their full entitlement, thus increasing the father’s time for childcare and support for the mother;
• Equal opportunities in academia — Encouraging fathers’ participation helps to mitigate the negative career impact often disproportionately faced by women in academia and research due to parental responsibilities. This supports the university’s goal of increasing the representation of women in governance and leadership roles;
• Non-discrimination in research — Utilisation of paternity leave by male faculty members shall not negatively affect their eligibility to serve as Principal Investigators (PIs) or the allocation of research funds, which must remain based solely on scientific merit.

7. Protection and reporting

7.1. The university maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination or retaliation against any individual who exercises their entitlements under this Policy, reports a suspected breach, or acts as a witness.

7.2. Prohibited retaliatory actions for faculty / staff include, but are not limited to, denial of promotion or contract renewal, unjust performance reviews, or exclusion from committees. For students, this includes unfair judgement in academic assessments or withdrawal of scholarships.

7.3. Reports of discrimination or retaliation should be submitted through the dedicated, confidential channels, e.g. the Deanship of Student Affairs for students and the Human Resources Department for faculty, staff, and applicants.

8. Monitoring and review

8.1. The university shall regularly monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to gender equality, including the paternity provisions and the satisfaction of students / faculty / staff with the provisions.

8.2. This Policy shall be reviewed every two years by the University Council.

8.3. The President of Qassim University holds the ultimate responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of this Policy.