3 key factors for maternity leave
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According to a report of the International Labour Organization, there are several aspects to make improvements in the environment of maternity leave
It's no secret that when we think of the best maternity leave in the world, we usually think of European countries first. But what aspects do countries that always appear on the list of best maternity leave have in common?
According to the research of the International Labour Organization, entitled "Maternity and paternity at work: Legislation and practice in the world", several important factors have to be taken into account. In LatinAmerican Post we tell you some of them.
Leer en esañol: 3 factores clave para las licencias de maternidad
1. Adopt and implement inclusive laws and policies
One of the main gaps that exist is the lack of coverage of the law. According to the report, there are still countries that do not cover everything that involves being a mother. It is very important to create a balance between work and family, regardless of their social or work status.
In addition, it is important that there are labor protections, to prevent women from being dismissed either because they are pregnant or during maternity leave. In the same way, it is essential that during your license you are not punished economically.
European countries such as Norway, which is one of the countries with greater gender equality and is among the best countries with maternity leave, has a "supreme maternity leave" in which mothers can take up to 35 weeks with the salary Full or 45 weeks with 80% of your salary, as stated by Bebés y más.
You may be interested in reading: How do maternity leave works in Latin America?
2. Maternity protection + work and family policies = effective gender equality
Here the combination between work and family policies is crucial, because together they have enormous potential, since it creates a balance and guarantees in the working life and in the personal life of the woman. When maternity leave guarantees labor protection, more women participate in the labor field.
However, you can not abuse these measures, because with something as simple as the duration of the license, you can throw down all social protection. If the license lasts a short time, women will not be ready to return to work and may prefer to resign. If, on the other hand, it lasts too long, they can harm the advancement of women's paid work and their work performance.
As support measures for the reintegration of women, training should be created for the reintegration of women in the labor sector. Also, there are needed affordable daycare services; Sweden, for example, "has the best parental leave policies and permits, and also has multiple daycare centers," as Nueva Mujer recalls.
As a gender equality strategy, in Iceland, both parents can divide the nine months granted by the government. Normally 3 months are given for each one, and the rest are divided, there is no possibility of being transferred for either of them, because "the government makes sure that both parents can work and that the children have the opportunity to spend time with both", according to Forbes.
3. Create a supportive work culture
It is essential that in business life, both motherhood and fatherhood are standardized in order to create a culture that advocates gender transformation practices. Thus, the report highlights the fact of "extending the balance between personal and work life to all workers, regardless of their sex and family status, for example, allowing for shorter weeks or work days, remote work or teleworking".
Therefore, it is crucial to improve the quality of work, as it not only benefits maternity leave but can generate more part-time jobs. Similarly, "preference for part-time workers for full-time vacancies could be given as a means to facilitate their reintegration into the full-time workforce", according to the report.
LatinAmerican Post | Laura Viviana Guevara Muñoz
Translated from "3 factores clave para las licencias de maternidad"
