26-week maternity leave gets House nod
New Delhi, March 9: A Bill that seeks to increase maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks was passed by the Lok Sabha Thursday. The Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill in August last year during the Monsoon Session.
A bill that seeks to increase maternity leave for women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The Maternity Benefit Amendment Bill, aimed at benefiting women and children, will ensure maternity benefit from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two children.
The Rajya Sabha had passed the bill in August last year during the Monsoon Session. “I congratulate women who are planning to have a child. Maternity leave of 26 weeks will ensure good health to both mother and child,” tweeted women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi, who strongly pushed for the amendments that is expected to benefit about 1.8 million women in the organised sector. The amended law will be applicable to all
Women and child development (WCD) minister Maneka Gandhi strongly pushed for the amendments that are likely to benefit about 1.8 million women in the organised sector
establishments employing 10 or more people. Once the amendments to the Act are passed and notified, India will jump to the third position in terms of the number of weeks for maternity leave, after Canada (50) and Norway (44). The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of maternity and entitles them to fully paid absence from work to take care of the child. “Well-being of women during pregnancy has been a matter of serious concern,” Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said while tabling the bill in the Lower House. The Central government has already amended its service rules and is providing 26 weeks maternity leave to its employees.
The bill will lead to the ratification of the International Labour Organisation convention No. 183 that provides for 14 weeks of maternity benefit to women.