Tamil Nadu gives 9 months maternity leave for government staff

Chennai, September 2016:
Government employees in Tamil Nadu can now avail nine months (36 weeks) of maternity leave, putting the state in the same league as western democracies. In fact, the duration of maternity leave in Tamil Nadu is now well ahead of the same in the United States (12 weeks), Switzerland (14 weeks), Italy (20 weeks) France and the Netherlands (16 weeks).

Only Germany (56 weeks), Canada and Denmark (52 weeks) and Norway (36-46 weeks) rank higher than the state in terms of maternity benefits.

Announcing the move in the State Assembly under Rule 110, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said maternity leave would increase from six months to nine months - a promise she had made during the polls. The leave can spread from pre-delivery rest period to post-delivery recuperation, at the option of the employee.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the Centre’s move to amend the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, to increase the leave from 12 weeks to 36 weeks, which also applies to private firms.

Maternity leave was first extended to 90 days (3 months) in 1980 and was doubled to 180 days (six months) by Jayalalithaa when she took charge as the Chief Minister in 2011.

Women’s rights organizations have been seeking extended maternity leave, pointing out that over a third of women professionals were giving up their career mid-way owing to maternity issues. Newindianexpress