NCW panel suggests extending paternity leaves to help mothers in raising children

In a bid to reduce the burden on mothers after childbirth, a panel at the Final Law Review Consultation on the Maternity Benefit Act has made certain recommendations, including extending paternal leaves, incentivising employees, and sensitising corporate sectors to employ more women workers, the National Commission for Women (NCW) informed on Saturday. 

Notably, NCW had organised the Final Law Review Consultation meet on the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and the 2017 Amendment to discuss the changes that can be brought to enhance the work environment for female employees. Furthermore, the meeting was aimed at reviewing and analysing the legislation specifically affecting women and thus recommend amendments to meet any lacunae, inadequacies, and shortcomings.

In this regard, NCW, so far, has conducted one preliminary consultation and five regional-level consultations to relook at the Act in order to formulate specific recommendations for amendments and to enhance the outreach of the legislation. Through this, the Commission looks forward to seeking the views, suggestions, and opinions of experts and stakeholders from all over the country. 

Suggestions made during the Final Law Review consultation meet

Speaking about the suggestions made by the invited panellists during the meeting on the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, some of them included suggestions to extend the paternity leaves for the fathers so that the burden of raising the child is shared equally between both the parents and further to incentivise employers and sensitisation of the corporate sector to employ more women workers.

Further, the experts also discussed the issue of women working in the unorganised sector followed by the provision of creche facilities on a case-to-case basis rather than a number of employees, and the scope of incentives for employers, among other matters. 

Notably, the Commission had invited legal experts, advocates, academicians, and legal experts from different fields to deliberate on the real challenges and technical issues faced by women. Some of them included Independent Legal Counsel, Esha Shekhar, Odisha High Court advocates Albertina Almeida, and Suhree Pholgu who shared their recommendations. 

On the other hand, the panellists included Prithvi Pal, Advocate on Record, Suhaas Ratna Joshi, Advocate on Record, Advocate Anuradha Paul and Advocate and Mediator Nidhi Tilak Raj among others who shared their views and recommendations in the final law review consultation. 

(Image: PIB)