Does Enhancing Paid Maternity Leave Policy Help Promote Gender Equality? Evidence from 31 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Globally, women continue to have less economic decision-making power and face gender-unequal norms at work. Little is known about the impact of national public policies on norms surrounding equality. We examined the impact of extending paid maternity leave policy on decision making in the household and gender norms in the workplace, specifically whether women have sole or joint decision-making power with respect to large household purchases and whether women are perceived as having an equal right to jobs when jobs are scarce. We used difference-in-differences models to analyze the impact of increasing paid maternity leave on outcomes measured in the Demographic Health Surveys and World Values Surveys collected in 31 low- and middle-income countries. A one-month increase in the legislated duration of paid maternity leave increased the odds that women and their partners/spouses reported that women had more decision-making power by 40% (95% CI 1.14, 1.70) and 66% (95% CI 1.36, 2.03), respectively. A one-month increase in the legislated duration of paid maternity leave was associated with 41.5 percentage-point increase in the prevalence of individuals disagreeing with the statement that “when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women.” More generous maternity leave increases gender equality in economic decision making in the household and improves gender norms related to work. Future studies should examine the impact of paternity leave and non-discrimination policy, as well as other large-scale policies aiming to improve gender equality at work and at home.

Implementation of two policies to extend maternity leave and further restrict marketing of breast milk substitutes in Vietnam: a qualitative study

Policy research can reveal gaps and opportunities to enhance policy impact and implementation. In this study, we use a theoretically informed qualitative approach to investigate the implementation of two policies to promote breastfeeding in Vietnam. We conducted semi-structured interviews with national and local policy stakeholders (n = 26) in 2017. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and then translated to English by certified translators. Transcript data were analysed using an integrated conceptual framework of policy implementation. Respondents identified several positive outcomes resulting from implementation of an extended maternity leave policy (Labour Code No. 10/2012/QH13) and further restrictions on marketing of breast milk substitutes (Decree No. 100/2014/ND-CP). Decree No. 100, in particular, was said to have reduced advertising of breast milk substitutes in mass media outlets and healthcare settings. Key implementation actors were national-level bureaucratic actors, local organizations and international partners. Findings reveal the importance of policy precedence and a broader set of policies to promote the rights of women and children to support implementation. Other facilitators were involvement from national-level implementing agencies and healthcare personnel and strength of government relationships and coordination with non-governmental and international organizations. Implementation challenges included insufficient funding, limited training to report violations, a cumbersome reporting process and pervasive misinformation about breast milk and breast milk substitutes. Limited reach for women employed in the informal labour sector and in rural communities was said to be a compatibility issue for the extended maternity leave policy in addition to the lack of impact on non-parental guardians and caretakers. Recommendations to improve policy implementation include designating a role for international organizations in supporting implementation, expanding maternity protections for all working women, building local-level policy knowledge to support enforcement, simplifying Decree No. 100 violation reporting processes and continuing to invest in interventions to facilitate a supportive policy environment in Vietnam.

Managing labour market re-entry following maternity leave among women in the Australian higher education sector

Paid maternity leave policy attracts considerable attention in Australia and internationally, not least because taking a maternity break and employment re-entry benefits economies, businesses and well-being. The literature on factors contributing to a positive relationship between paid employment, reproduction and caring is fragmented and continues to highlight the complexity of the matter. Drawing on qualitative interviews, and Williams’ theory of domesticity ideology and Pocock’s work/care regimes, I examine women’s paid employment re-entry experiences and management strategies following maternity leave in higher education in Australia. This analysis develops a critical conceptualisation of women making ‘constrained choices’ and ‘forced decisions’ to manage work/care, and relates to gender inequality in the workplace–household intersection; taking a step back in paid employment; outsourcing housework; and the complexity of childcare. Findings highlight the need for support models to promote work/life balance in the context of debates about gender equality and flexibility, and the workplace–household intersection.

Mothers’ Age and Education Who Work in Health Facility Influenced Nutritive Feeding Choice

The health worker services are a role model. Activities breastfeeding decline when mothers started to work after maternity leave. The purpose of this research is to analyze the factors relating to the mothers on the reproductive age who works in the hospital. The method of the research was quantitative with cross-sectional. The research used questioners and held on January-March 2020. Total sampling with 40 respondents. The result showed two variables were significant. There are the age of the mothers with p-value with the p 0.044 < 0.05 and the level of mother education with the p 0.045 <0.05. The reproductive age and education significantly positive for history giving exclusive breastfeeding. The mothers had chosen mix feeding for nutritive their babies. The environment did not support, even mothers have enough for their knowledge so they decided to give formula. Although mothers have high of the level of education still give mix feeding because of back to work, have no support on breastfeeding and facility where the mothers work. Conclusion the health services such as in the hospital should give the employee specialized women who had reproductive age to support for example facilities for the breast pump, maternity leave policy, and finally could be breastfeeding exclusively.

Academic mothers as “ideal workers” in both the US and Finland

Purpose The purpose was to explore how women academics in Finland and the US experience academic motherhood, how they time their pregnancy, and the ways in which the 10;different policy environments shape their decisions and experiences. Design/methodology/approach The interviewer collected data through 10;semi-structured, long interviews with 67 academic mothers, 33 in Finland and 34 in the US. They were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed for themes. Findings In Finland, the insecurity of fixed-term contracts and the growing influence of the neoliberal “ideal worker” concept influenced decisions despite the generous work-family policies of the Government. In the US, meanwhile, concerns about age-related infertility had a bigger impact than career risks. One thing the US and Finnish women had in common was a feeling of being under pressure to maintain their presence at work while on maternity leave. Originality/value Cross-cultural studies of academic motherhood are rare. The choice of Finland and the US was instructive because of the different work-family policies in place. Finland has some of the most generous family leave policies in the world, whereas the US has not yet seen a federal, paid maternity leave policy.

Association of increased duration of legislated paid maternity leave with childhood diarrhoea prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries: difference-in-differences analysis

BackgroundDiarrhoea is the second-leading infectious cause of death in children younger than age 5 years. The global burden of severe diarrhoeal disease is concentrated in Africa and Southeast Asia, where a significant percentage of the population resides in low-resource settings. We aimed to quantitatively examine whether extending the duration of legislated paid maternity leave affected the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsWe merged longitudinal data measuring national maternity leave policies with information on the prevalence of bloody diarrhoea related to 884 517 live births occurring between 1996 and 2014 in 40 LMICs that participated at least twice in the Demographic and Health Surveys between 2000 and 2015. We used a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes in the percentage of children with bloody diarrhoea across eight countries that lengthened their paid maternity leave policy between 1995 and 2013 to the 32 countries that did not.ResultsThe prevalence of bloody diarrhoea in the past 2 weeks was 168 (SD=40) per 10 000 children under 5 years in countries that changed their policies and 136 (SD=15) in countries that did not. A 1-month increase in the legislated duration of paid maternity leave was associated with 61 fewer cases of bloody diarrhoea (95% CI −98.86 to −22.86) per 10 000 children under 5 years of age, representing a 36% relative reduction.ConclusionExtending the duration of paid maternity leave policy appears to reduce the prevalence of bloody diarrhoea in children under 5 years of age in LMICs.

A review of the development of maternity leave policy in China over the past 70 years

This study analyzes the changes in maternity leave policy in China during the past 70 years by reviewing the documents issued since 1949. During these years, the length of maternity leave increased from 56 days initially to 98 days, and finally to as much as 128 to 365 days. The sums paid to women taking maternity leave gradually increased and an insurance mechanism was introduced. There were changes in the intent and focus of policies: (1) A change in the intention of maternity leave policy from protecting the rights and interests of women only to protecting those of both women and children. (2) A change in focus from one of implementing national family planning policy to one of protecting the rights of individuals. (3) A change in the focus point of policies from the home only to the workplace and the home. (4) An increased focus on gender equity evidenced by gradual introduction of paternity leave policy. Although maternity leave policy has improved over the years, challenges still exist including significant differences in the policy environment at the provincial level, and difficulties in implementing policy in some regions and enterprises.

Construction and Validation of the Quality of Maternity Leave Scales (QMLS)

Maternity leave is not federally guaranteed or paid in the United States. Although there has been an increase of women in the workforce, federal maternity leave policy has not changed since the adoption of the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993. The subjective quality of this maternity leave is likely an important component of what mothers perceive to be decent work. However, no scholars have developed measurements examining mothers’ subjective experiences of the quality of their maternity leave. Therefore, the goal of the current research was to develop scales measuring six domains of quality of maternity leave: time off, flexibility, coworker support, discrimination, microaggressions, and benefits (e.g., pay, health care, disability insurance). In two studies with diverse samples of working, adult mothers, we provide evidence for the factor structure, validity, and internal consistency of the Quality of Maternity Leave Scales.