Almost everywhere around the world new moms are given a maternity leave, but in some countries parents receive much more benefits than just a few months of paid leave. From gifts and baby clothes sent directly to your home, to nearly-complete salary replacement, benefits for parents are designed to make their lives a little bit easier when a new member of family is born.
A study from the International Labour Organization (ILO) looked at the maternity and paternity laws and practices in 185 countries around the world and found that more than 800 million mothers are still not adequately protected with leave and cash benefits, with nearly 80 percent of them found in Africa and Asia. However, the report concluded that the majority of countries have special legislation to protect and support maternity and paternity at work. In fact, according to ILO, maternity protection is a fundamental human right and should be supported to prevent discrimination against women in the workplace, which is still a widespread issue, even in some of the most advanced nations. Another major finding was that only 28.4 percent of employed women receive cash benefits in case of maternity.
The minimum standard for a maternity leave period is 14 weeks, but the organization warns that if the leave is too long, especially when there’s no job protection, may damage women’s advancement in career. Paid maternity leave is crucial, but in some countries there are other cash benefits established, which also help out the new parents. Out of the 185 countries, only in two there is no cash benefits – Papua New Guinea and the United States. In Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the developed economies, nearly all countries meet or exceed the standard, while the Middle East is the region where mothers receive the shortest time off – in 92% of countries, this period is less than 12 weeks.
