New rules for Indian mothers – so long as the government accepts they exist
March 31, 2017
Campaigners brand maternity bill elitist over failure to include women working in India’s informal sector, who represent 95% of female workforce
The Indian government’s new maternity bill, which comes into force this week, has been branded an elitist policy that will do little or nothing to help the vast majority of the country’s mothers.
According to women’s groups, the new rules – which raise maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks, putting India ahead of France and the US – will apply only to a small fraction of the female workforce.
“It’s as if, for the government, 95% of India’s women don’t even exist,” said Juin Dutta, from Paatshala, a group helping impoverished female handicraft workers. She pointed out that the extension will only apply to women in the formal sector, which amounts to just 5% of India’s working women.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, hailed the bill as “a step forward for Indian women” when he introduced details of the legislation on his monthly radio address this week.
“The basic aim is to ensure proper care of the newborn, the future citizen of India, from the time of birth,” he said. “The newborn should get the complete love and attention of the mother. That is how these children will become true assets of the country when they grow up. Mothers too will remain healthy.”
