One morning, I was at my office checking my regular emails when my eyes caught a glimpse of the Australian government’s new policy of granting 18 weeks paid leave to both parents, which came into force from Jan 1, 2011. It gave me immense pleasure to learn that Aussie mothers could spend sufficient quality time with their babies. That time would also allow them to make post-pregnancy health adjustments.
Parental leave is the provision of providing paid or unpaid leave to the employees to care for a child and mother. Often, the term parental leave includes maternity, paternity or adoption leave. Adequate arrangements for parental leave and child welfare has become necessary these days with the growth of nuclear families and working parents.
10th annual Mother Index, which gives a global ranking of the best and worst countries to be a mother, has Sweden, Norway and Australia in top rankings for 2009.
Central European countries like Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia are the most dedicated countries in the world regarding parental leave. In Czech Republic, it is standard that mothers stay at home for 3 years with every child. The United States unlike other developed nations does provide paid leave for new mothers though there are exceptions in some US states. The US Family and Medical Leave Act provide for 12 weeks of job-protected leave, but it only covers those who work for larger companies.
The most generous maternal/paternal leave system is in Lithuania where mothers are provided 8 weeks of 100 percent paid leave before the due date, 100 percent pay in the first year, 85 percent in the second year and an additional (third) year of unpaid leave. Either mother or father can take the leave, or they can swap in shifts. African countries like Algeria, Cameroon, Chad and Gabon mostly have the provision of 14 weeks paid maternity leaves.
Parental leave is funded generally through a contributory social security or social insurance scheme, paid by employees and employers with government contributions. Scandinavian countries have the most generous maternity and paternity leave systems. In developing countries of South Asia like India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, leave is most commonly three months which is 100 percent paid. In Nepal, mothers get two months of paid maternity leave with an extension of six months of unpaid leave. Recently, a decision has been made by the Nepal government to provide the maternity facility to women employees notwithstanding the number of babies. Under the new provision, male employees will be entitled 11 days paid leave for the birth of each of their first two children.
Article 20(2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal also grants maternity health benefits to working women. The Labour Act 2048 has provision that if there are more than 50 women staffs in a company, a childcare center or crèche must be set up. Following the provision, a crèche has been set up inside the premises of Singha Durbar, Human Rights Commission and there are further plans to extend the service in other government offices as well.
The most generous maternal/paternal leave system is in Lithuania where mothers are provided 8 weeks of 100 percent paid leave before the due date, 100 percent pay in the first year, 85 percent in the second year and an additional (third) year of unpaid leave.
It has been observed that legal requirements for parental leave benefits do not always reflect actual practice including that in our country. Where the government is gradually increasing the benefits to working mothers, the private institutions are simply ignoring it. With the growth in number of working women and I/NGOs advocating women’s rights issues, amendments have been made regarding the benefits but still inconsistencies prevail in the leave provisions for women involved in different work sectors.
In many cases, the private sector employers do not internalize the gravity of the situation and force the employees to quit the job or only provides an option of few days’ unpaid leave. I was touched when one of my collegues working in a prestigious media house expressed her grievance over not being able to get maternity leave during her pregnancy period. I questioned myself how such institutions can overlook such legal requirements and societal needs. They should understand that the paid parental leave scheme will not only help parents spend more time at home with a new baby but also helps to retain the skilled and qualified staffs.
One should well take into account that paying women during a period of maternity leave is internationally recognized. In fact, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)states: "Parties shall take all appropriate measures … to introduce maternity leave with pay or with comparable social benefits without loss of former employment seniority or social allowances".
Maternity friendly laws and policies should therefore be introduced and exercised to promote the working women without forcing them to quit their jobs. In a way, the state should be responsible enough for bringing diverse social security measures, monitoring its implementation status and making the concerned accountable to do so. Everyone in this civilized world should well understand and need to grow beyond the perception that that new borns are the sole responsibility of mothers.
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