International Labour Organisation says 82 of 185 countries analysed did not have 14 weeks' minimum maternity leave

New laws protect expectant mothers from being fired for becoming pregnant or taking maternity leave. Photo: Unsplash

The provision of adequate maternity leave and childcare services could generate nearly 300 million jobs by 2035, a UN agency said.

Care at work: Investing in care leave and services for a more gender-equal world of work, a report published by the International Labour Organisation looks at national laws, policies and practices on care, including maternity, paternity, parental, child and long-term care around the world.

Its authors found persistent and significant gaps in care services and policies had left hundreds of millions of workers with family responsibilities without adequate protection and support.

We need to rethink the way we provide care policies and services that supports women to stay in employment

But if these needs were to be protected, 299 million jobs could be added to the global economy by 2035.

The report said three in 10 women of reproductive age, or 649 million women, do not have access to adequate maternity protection that meets the key requirements of the ILO’s Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183).

The convention mandates 14 weeks' minimum maternity leave on at least two-thirds of previous earnings, funded by social insurance or public funds.

Eighty-two of the 185 countries surveyed for the report did not meet...

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