by Lizzie Elzingre

Created on: January 26, 2009

In 1919, the International Labor Organization adopted the first Maternity Protection Convention laying out basic principles of maternity protection-the right to leave, the right to cash and medical benefits and the right to job security, as well as the right to nursing breaks during working hours. Since that time, women's employment patterns have changed greatly around the world.

The women of today work throughout their childbearing years. They contribute more to family income than before. More have joined the workforce, thus the importance of maternity protection has also grown in consequence.

Benefits, such as paid maternity leave, get better when companies want to compete for the best employees. Paid maternity leave policy, considered as quality benefit, creates real value to employees and the company.

Packed with an importance to pregnancy and childbirth, its objective is to help ease the financial cost of natal delivery, and to have the right type of medical coverage for mother and child. In this regard, paid maternity leave must comply with the minimum legal requirements, is internally and externally competitive, has reward implication, is non-discriminatory, and is flexible in application.

Bringing a child into the world is motherhood most unforgettable moment, regardless of country, culture, or class. Yet, the sense of duty goes well beyond the physical act of birthing. Motherhood includes all stages of pregnancy to the birth itself including post-natal care of mothers and their newborn babies.

There are many more reasons, other than breastfeeding, why should mothers get paid maternity leave regardless of occupation.

A team led by UC Berkeley researchers found that maternity leave, before and after giving birth, is better for both moms and their babies. While most new mothers take some time off work after bringing the baby home, few have the advantage of paid maternity leave before they give birth-and they should, researchers added. Women who work until delivery day were more likely to have a cesarean section. A cesarean section procedure is more expensive, can lead to complications, and requires longer recovery.

Likewise, the longer a new mother delays her return to work, the more likely she is to breastfeed, which is highly recommended to decrease the risk of allergies, obesity, and sudden infant death as well as to ease the new mother intense post-partum period. These new studies suggest that making it feasible for more working mothers to have paid maternity

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>