Dear Colleagues, 

At the International Maternal and Child Section of Uppsala University, we are cooperating with an international Maternity Protection Coalition of NGOs planning efforts to support the ILO in promoting ratification of the new Maternity Protection Convention 183. Among other things, this convention calls for 14 weeks of paid leave, compared to 12 weeks under its predecessor, MPC 103, and the Recommendation 191 calls for 18, compared to 14 weeks in the old Rec 95. 

When I visited ILO in 1990 to discuss the maternity protection issue with them, I had the pleasure of speaking with a couple staff members who I believe were actually seconded from UNFPA. They informed me of their concerns about the potential pronatalist impact of providing additional benefits to working mothers for each birth. I have since then noted that some countries deal with this by limiting the number of children for whom maternity leave can be obtained (or reducing its duration after a certain number of children are born) and others limit how often maternity benefits may be obtained (that is, require a certain amount of birth spacing).  

Before embarking on large-scale work on this issue, we would be grateful for any feedback you could give us on UNFPA's views of this issue.  

Best regards, 
Ted Greiner 
  

Date:   Fri, 27 Oct 2000 19:07:57 -0400 

Dear Colleagues, 

Thank you for your message regarding the new ILO Convention on Maternity 
Protection. UNFPA was very pleased with the adoption of the new 
Convention and Recommendation on Maternity Protection. Dr Nafis Sadik, 
UNFPA Executive Director, personally commended Mr Somavia on ILO's 
efforts to foster changes in the Convention. 

AS you know, these changes include an increased duration of maternity 
leave to no less than 14 weeks, with a recommended period of 18 weeks, 
and including a compulsory post-natal leave of six weeks, unless 
otherwise agreed by the government and the organizations of employers 
and workers; the right to daily breastfeeding breaks; and the provision 
that no woman is obliged to perform a work prejudicial to her health 
or that of her child, including steps to be taken should this be the 
case, from elimination of the risk to paid leave. The Convention also 
include a broader coverage of employed women, especially those working 
in the informal sector; and other measures to ensure that maternity does 
not constitute a source of discrimination in employment. ILO will soon 
launch a global advocacy campaign to make these standards better known. 

UNFPA assists developing countries in strengthening family planning and 
reproductive health on the basis of individual choice. Whatever 
choice women make, with respect to breastfeeding or not, for instance, 
they should not be penalized in terms of employment, as a result of that 
choice. We strive to support the rights and health of working women, 
whether they are formally employed or work in informal sectors. 

In our view, the implementation of the new Convention would reinforce 
the ability of women to reconcile their reproductive and productive 
roles and responsibilities. We do not think that the Convention would have a 
significant pronatalist impact, and what is observed - almost in every 
country and society - is rather a huge and increasing demand for better 
family planning programs. In any case, this is a matter of free and 
informed decision by individuals and families. 

I am at your disposal to further discuss the issue by phone, should you 
so wish. 

With best regards, 

France Donnay 
Senior Technical Officer 
Technical Support Division 
UNFPA New York