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If I read another performative post about International Women's Day I might scream... We are never going to achieve the gender equality in the workplace without true change in the way we support women. Attracting, retaining, and supporting women through all life stages during their career requires serious policy reviews. Here’s my take on the top 4: 🤰 Enhanced Maternity Leave and Pay: Offering enhanced maternity leave and pay is a necessity, not just a benefit, supporting women through key life transitions, helping them balance family and career without financial strain. If you can tell the difference between the government’s minimum wage and paying a competitive salary to keep people, you should be able to apply the same logic to maternity leave. #MaternityMatters 🤸♀️ Flexible Work Environments: Providing flexibility in work hours and locations to accommodate different life circumstances is particularly important for working mothers. And don't leave your employees waiting when they make flexible working requests; their childcare decisions and finances are hanging on your decision.#FlexForFamilies ⚖ Equal Pay and Advancement Opportunities: Ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work and have transparent opportunities for career progression. #EqualPayEveryday 🏥 Female Health Support: Recognising the full spectrum of female health needs, including support for women going through menopause, fertility treatments or miscarriage. #WellnessForWomen We often talk about breaking glass ceilings, but let’s first focus on removing barriers. Too many women face the tough decision between career and family planning, personal and professional growth, due to inadequate workplace policies. It’s time for companies to realise that supporting their female employees is not just ethical; it’s essential for a diverse and dynamic workforce. #InternationalWomensDay #DiversityInBusiness #EnhancedMaternity #PolicyOverCakesAndSocialPosts #NotJustLipService #EqualityIsntExtra 📣 What policies has your company or could your company implement to support women?

It's so important for women to be well equipped for the World of Work. There will always be challenges along the way, but sharing knowledge and supporting each other are key. Empowering working mums is just one part of the journey. This post by Women in Data summarises some of the challenges women might face in their career as a parent. How can we better support them? How can we better support ourselves? #workingparents #femaleempowerment #genderparity #womenatwork

Did you know that millennial and Gen Z candidates consider gender pay gap results as a measure of company values? Read more about how people policies can address the gender pay gap in our blog - https://lnkd.in/eBXDRfZF #reinsurance #insurancecareers #womenininsurance

"Extended maternity leave reduced salaried employment for women by 4.3 percentage points." - Saheli Bose & Somdeep Chatterjee Read the insightful research by Bose et al. in #JDevStudies.Their article, "Motherhood Penalty Revisited: Impacts of Maternity Leave Mandates on Nature of Employment Contracts," examines the effects of India's extended maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks. Key Findings: 🔹 Reduced regular salaried employment for women by 4.3 percentage points. 🔹 Increased women working as unpaid and wage laborers. Understand how this policy impacts women's employment in India and the broader implications for gender equality in the labor market. ➡ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHYcretr #GenderEquality #MaternityLeave

Recently, a friend shared his concerns about his pregnant wife, who had completed a virtual recruitment process and secured a job. However, her start date coincided with her expected delivery date. When I inquired whether her pregnancy was disclosed during the hiring process, he mentioned that it wasn’t due to fears of being overlooked for the position. This situation highlights a significant issue: job hunting is particularly challenging for pregnant women. Pregnant women often face considerable bias during job searches, which can include: Hiring Discrimination: Employers may consciously or unconsciously avoid hiring pregnant women or those anticipated to become pregnant soon, due to worries about maternity leave, reduced productivity, or perceived lack of commitment. Workplace Accommodations: Pregnant women also encounter difficulties related to needing special accommodations, such as flexible hours or adjusted duties, which can impact hiring decisions or job security. Wage and Job Security Issues: Pregnant women also experience wage disparities or concerns about job stability due to biased hiring practices or fears about their future availability. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has taken steps to address these issues through various conventions and recommendations aimed at promoting gender equality and safeguarding the rights of pregnant workers. Key initiatives include: Maternity Protection Convention (No. 183): This convention sets forth guidelines to ensure maternity leave and benefits are provided, aiming to mitigate negative impacts on women’s employment opportunities and job security. Promoting Gender Equality: The ILO advocates for gender equality in the workplace, supporting policies that prevent discrimination and assist working mothers, including during recruitment. Policy Guidance: The ILO offers guidance and support to countries in developing policies that tackle pregnancy-related discrimination and ensure fair treatment of pregnant workers. However, despite these international efforts, challenges persist, and their effectiveness often relies on national implementation and enforcement. Ongoing advocacy and awareness are essential to overcoming these bias faced by pregnant women in the job market. I also came across a very interesting Act "The pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978" which is however a United States federal statute. It will really be great if the National Assembly of Nigeria can look into promulgating similar laws and ensure enforceability to break such bias. Sonia O. Felix

#InternationalDayofCareandSupport "I had to hide my pregnancy for six months because I couldn't afford to lose my job." These words from one of our union members, who is a garment worker exposes the reality faced by thousands of low-wage women workers across industries. Women working in garment, gig, domestic work and other low-wage sectors deserve the basic rights to support themselves as both workers and mothers—rights like the freedom to embrace their pregnancy without constantly fearing job loss. These protections should not be privileges reserved only for high-wage women workers in corporate roles -- they are fundamental rights that are owed to every woman whatever their job might be, and employers must ensure it. For a decade, we've been advocating for two basic necessities - maternity leave and functional childcare facilities in garment factories. While these are legally mandated in India, the gap between law and implementation remains stark. The reality in factory floors is troubling: 🔴 Pregnant workers face unofficial pressure to leave their jobs 🔴 Nursing mothers are penalized for taking essential breaks to feed their children 🔴 Women endure verbal harassment for basic needs like using the restroom when they face morning sickness 🔴 Substandard childcare facilities force women to leave the workforce entirely While we discuss increasing women's workforce participation, we're failing to provide even the basic, legally required support systems. How many workplaces do anything to support a young mother when they re-join the workplace? Honestly, smaller garment production units often provide greater flexibility to pregnant workers and young mothers compared to larger export factories producing for international brands that advocate for women’s empowerment. Perhaps it’s the close-knit, personal connections in these smaller units that foster this empathy and understanding. Let's be clear: Maternity leave, flexible schedules, and quality childcare aren't luxuries - they're fundamental rights every woman worker deserves. To all industry leaders: if you’re genuinely committed to women’s empowerment, start by enforcing these basic rights across your supply chains. We are tired of empty promises and the endless rhetoric about how we "need empowerment". It’s time for real action that respects and supports women in the workforce. FEMNET Luise Johanna Tegeler Lavinia Muth Nitesh Das remake.world Clean Clothes Campaign #WomenInManufacturing #WorkersRights #MaternityRights #GarmentIndustry #LaborLaw #WomenEmpowerment #CorporateResponsibility #WorkingMothers #IndustrialReform #SocialJustice

🚨📢 Important Update on Maternity Leave Rights in India!⚖️ The Rajasthan High Court recently ruled that all women employees, regardless of the nature of their employment, are entitled to 180 days of maternity leave. This landmark decision underscores the commitment to ensuring equitable workplace benefits for women, fostering a supportive environment for working mothers across various sectors. This ruling aligns with the objectives of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, aiming to safeguard the health and well-being of both mother and child during a critical period. By extending these benefits to all women employees, the court has taken a significant step toward gender equality in the workplace. As we continue to advocate for women's rights and welfare in the workplace, it's essential to stay informed about such critical legal developments. This ruling not only promotes a healthier work-life balance but also sets a precedent for future cases concerning women's rights in employment. Let’s work together to create inclusive workplaces where every woman has the support she needs during this important time in her life! #MaternityLeave #GenderEquality #WomenInWorkplace #LegalUpdate #RajasthanHighCourt

🌟Gender pay gap in Australia: Women aren't 'choosing' to work less; they have no choice. Recent revelations of the gap in nearly 5000 Aussie employers sparked debates about why men and women 'choose' different work paths. But let's be real: Aussie women's choices are heavily influenced by outdated norms. Our culture still pushes 'mum as caregiver' and 'dad as breadwinner' stereotypes, limiting genuine choice in work and care. To truly empower parents, we need policy reform. Look at childcare: Aussie families shell out 24% of earnings on average, compared to 5% in Sweden and 1% in Germany. No wonder Aussie mums face higher barriers to workforce participation. It's time to break free from these norms and give families real choices. Read more: https://ow.ly/B3QE50R8Wew #GenderEquality #PolicyReform #WorkLifeBalance

I wrote this article for Women's Agenda.   Recent changes to the Fair Work Act attempt to help women from being over-represented in casual and insecure work. However, we must ask ourselves why women are over-represented in insecure work before we can truly solve the problem. This is where Reproductive Leave and Flexible Work Arrangements are designed to be a solution, rather than a band-aid.   I develop these ideas in this article.

#GenderPayGap in Germany | To this day, women earn 18 per cent less than men! What could be the reason for this? And what could be done against it? Family-friendly company measures could be an important factor: Companies are currently taking more and more measures to support their employees in balancing work and familiy-life. For example, some companies are creating company childcare centres for their employees. Companies that offer their employees a company childcare centre have a significantly smaller pay gap than companies without this support structure. 💡 Tomorrow, we will continue with more insights of the latest study of Future of Work Lab Konstanz Florian Kunze Sophie Moser. Focus: How do political regulations affect the gender pay gap? #EqualPayDay