The National Assembly session held on Monday reviewed eight bills for acceptance or rejection. The Maternity Leave Bill 2020 was also part of those eight bills. It was previously submitted in 2020 in the Senate, and now it has been officially passed by the National Assembly to properly get into action.
The bill not only emphasized maternal leave but also highlighted paternal leave.
According to this bill, mothers can now take up to six months on the first birth, with leavers of four and three months for the second and third children, and it allows for the father to take three one-month leaves for the duration of the service during times of childbirth. This is indeed a great step towards supporting labour welfare rights.
This maternity and paternity bill will be implemented by the federal government and will include both the private and public sectors. We hope that all other provinces will also consider passing such bills to recognize the role of both mother and father in the birth of a child. Indeed, this recognition will help to improve societal norms.
