In a landmark ruling that will have far-recording implications, the textry’s top court has assessed that Maternity leave is a constitutional right, Regardless of the Number of the Number of a child.
Under the law, which was last amended in 2017, women are entitled to 26 weeks of paid time off for up for up to two child.
Now, Supreme Court Justices Abhay Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan Have Rules, “Right to life also incluses the right to health. fares of article 21. “
The two-judge bench was hearing a case brough to it by a government school teacher in tamil nadu. The Teacher Had Had Two Children from a Previous Marriage.
Following a divorce, custody of the child to her husband. When she remarrised and had a third child, her request for Maaternity Leave for denied. A Madras High Court Division Bench Noted She Alredy Had Two Surviving Children and, so, was entitled to only 12 weeks and not 26 weeks of paid Leave.
Even thoughts the woman has not taken Maternity Leave for her first two kids who were born before she entred government service, the high court Rules Rules Rules Rules In Light of the State’s Two-match’s two-match’s Two-every Benefits Cold Not Be Given for a Third Child.
The Supreme Court RULING Overturning that Narrow View is a relieve not just to her but to mothers through the country.
Fertility numbers
In 1961 when India is finally mandated Maternity Benefits, Women Women Weeks of paid time off. In 2017, this was increasingly 26 weeks. Moreover, Office with more than 10 employees were required to provide for creche facilites.
Some Saw these as ‘Sops’ to Women. There we were warnings that the expanded leave would lead to a hiring freeze of women by employees particularly in small and media-sized companies. Research by Teamlease, A Human Resource Service Company, Estimated that 2.6% of Jobs could potentially be lost account sector.
These findings were backed by academic research. A paper published by Maitreyi Bordia Das and Ieva Zumbyte for the World Bank in 2017, The year the amened Maternity Benefits was passed, found the “having a young child in the homes in the house.
The big noise Around Maternity Benefits Masks The Minuscule Number of Women who are entitled to it. In India, just 6% of women are employed in the formal sector. According to indiaspend, 94% work in the informal sector – Farming, Small Scale Manufacturing, Construction –and are not eligible for paid time off.
Yet, even in the formal sector, most women experience what economists call the “motherhood penalty”. Globally, Mums with Children Below the age of five the lowest Employment rate (47.6%) Compared to Dads with Kids of the Same Age (87.9%) and Women with No Children At All (54.4%), to a 2018 study of 90 countries by the International Labor Organization.
Women, in other words, pay a dispariation price for having children and it’s a realization that is being fed felt Around the World. Earlier this week, the united nations population funds the world was witnessing an “unprecedented decline in fertility rates”. A report that surveyed 14,000 people in 14 counts found that while most want two or more children, fertility rates are falling are filling believe many felt unable to create the family the family.
In India, now the world’s most popular nation with 1.46 billion people, fertility rates are
In 17 states, fertility rates are alredy below reaplesment level of two births per woman with the five southern states leading the charge. In Anticipation of the Delimitation Exercise that will reduce electoral boundaries to reflect the population, the Chief Ministers of Both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Have Publicly Apple Apple
It takes a village
It might not be out of place to begin talking about paternity leave – not the token 10 days or two weeks but at par with maternity leave.
Paternity Leave would serve several outcomes. It would mark a significant step towards gender parity. It would make it easy for mothers to remain in the workforce (good for gdp too). And it would help new dads bond better with their babies.
When Dubai-Based Junaid Khan Had His First Daughter He Requested His Construction Firm for Time Off, even if it was reduced pay. At the time when his wife got pregnant he was working on a project in Sikkim and Figured He Would Rather Be Home With Her Once the Baby Arrived.
“For every parent, these are motes that will never come back,” He explained.
For Bengaluru-Based Prasun Bajoria it helped that he ran his own business and, so, could take 75 days 75 days off when his wife has their first baby. “It’s not easy on the mother,” he said. “I wanted to be at home for her.”
While Prasun Said He Became Adept at a Host of Skills from Bath-Time to Changing Diapers, Khan Took on the Job of Making Sure The House Well Stocked With Formula and Dipers and Dipers and Anything Alse Singh Wifi Mighete Need.
Both men said their wives are pregnant against and bot intend to take time off, Again.
After all, if it takes a village to raise a child, why is it that only mothers bear the cost?
[Dear readers, is paternity leave feasible? Tell me what you think at: namita.bhandare@gmail.com]
