Maternity leave has societal benefits

There is a need in the UAE for comprehensive changes to help new parents, including longer maternity leave.

Maryam Buhumaid faced a hard situation when she went back to work at her Government job after 60 days of maternity leave. “The baby is still dependent on the mother after two months,” she told The National last week, adding that it is not practical for mothers to go back and forth to breastfeed their toddlers during the two-hour breastfeeding break, as permitted by federal law.

Many women with young children find themselves in Ms Buhumaid’s situation, and the reality is even harsher for those working in the private sector, with only 45 days of maternity leave. In addition, there is a shortage of workplace-sponsored nurseries around the country, which makes juggling the demands of career and family even harder. Many women are unable to have nannies and have no social support system to lend a hand. Some of them are even forced to take the decision of staying home to take care of their children.

Experts have been calling for more support for new parents. The FNC even raised the issue in 2013, saying that the existing maternity leave was inadequate for women in both the public and the private sectors. This week, as The National reported, experts said that modifying existing policies is essential not only for women but for all family members. Better support for new parents, they said, would strengthen the families, promote good parenthood and encourage more women to join and stay in the workplace.

The UAE can benefit from other examples. Finland, as discussed during the conference in Abu Dhabi, offers more benefits for new parents. For example, the country’s social welfare system provides maternity grants, including child benefits and child homecare allowances, as part of their work-family reconciliation policy. New mothers are also entitled to 105 days of paid maternity leave and fathers to 18 days of paid paternity leave. The policy has successfully encouraged 75 per cent of mothers of children under 18 to work.

Alternative UAE policies have been proposed, one by Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) handed to the Federal Authority for the Government Human Resources in 2009, and one is being prepared by Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. But until these policies are reviewed and implemented, many new parents will continue to struggle.