The basis of this policy brief is 'Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world', a report by the International Labour Organsiation (ILO) on national legislative provisions covering maternity protection, including the extent to which national laws conform to Convention No. 183 and the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156). The report updates two previous editions (2005 and 2010) and compares national laws in 185 countries and territories with the most recent ILO standards. It uses data on national legislation collected by the ILO since 1994.
This policy brief presents the key findings from the report on maternity leave, paternity and parental leave, health protection at work, employment protection and non-discrimination, breastfeeding arrangements and childcare. It outlines the ILO framework on maternity and paternity at work and concludes with recommendations on policy design and implementation