For American mothers, it’s a struggle to take time off right after their child is born. That’s because while getting back to work right after giving birth is unnatural and inhumane, the U.S. doesn’t mandate female employees paid maternity leave.

That’s right: the U.S. is the only country aside from Papua New Guinea that doesn’t guarantee women paid maternity leave. According to the law, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), women are given only 12 weeks of unpaid leave. This leaves many mothers (especially those with low-income jobs at companies that offer no leave benefits) with a difficult decision: stay with their babies or lose their jobs?

A new Economist video brings up yet another question about paid leave in the U.S.: shouldn’t fathers get paid paternity leave as well?

Leave for both parents would certainly be a step forward for gender equality — and also be a big help for women, who could go back to work first if they so choose. Currently, 96 countries offer guaranteed paid leave for both parents; and nine countries, including the U.S., doesn’t offer it to either. Most European and Scandinavian countries lead the way here, with many of them offering women up to 52 weeks or more of paid leave — and fathers over 14 weeks.

The Economist video discusses the benefits of paternity leave: For example, paternity leave improves children’s performance in secondary school, especially for girls. Scientists have also found that fathers who are given the chance to get close with their newborns during the first few weeks and months sets the stage for the rest of their childhoods; they are more likely to take an active role in childhood tasks later on, according to a study cited.

Paternity leave will give fathers the ability to take charge of some of the home duties when a kid is born. “It made me familiar and comfortable with doing the work of caring for her and created a valuable bond of trust between us,” Wessel van den Berg of Cape Town, South Africa, told NPR about his fatherly duties.

If you’re angry about these U.S. laws as much as we are, watch John Oliver’s rant on paid family leave below.