Civil groups call for equal parental leave to prevent workplace discrimination
By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNA
Civil groups yesterday urged the Legislative Yuan to increase maternity leave and paternity leave by the same amount to avoid workplace discrimination against women.
President William Lai (賴清德) in May unveiled an 18-point population strategy to combat the nation’s low birthrate, titled “Taiwan Population Strategy 2.0: Family Support.” One new measure would be to extend maternity leave from the current eight weeks to 12 weeks, while leave for partners is set to be extended from seven to 14 days.
The proposal is being reviewed by the legislature, with some lawmakers proposing a 14-week maternity period.
Childcare Policy Alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching, right, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Maternity leave is not simply “the longer the better,” and must be increased in tandem with paternity leave to avoid discrimination in the workplace, the Childcare Policy Alliance said.
Extending maternity leave without extending paternity leave leaves the entire female workforce at a disadvantage, the alliance said, citing a study from Brazil last year.
The study of 14,767 workers who took leave and 423,926 of their colleagues showed that women’s overall promotion rate dropped by 17 percent and average income decreased by 3.5 percent, while the proportion of women in highly skilled positions decreased by 5 percent.
Meanwhile, the study showed that men’s promotion rate rose from 3.35 percent to 6.23 percent.
The study shows that extended maternity leave puts the entire female workforce at a disadvantage, as employers might not hire women due to costly maternity leave policies, Childcare Policy Alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶) said.
Spain grants equal parental leave for men and women, Wang said, adding that the key to increasing the birthrate is encouraging dual-parent caregiving and encouraging men to take a more active role in childcare.
Spain also grants wage subsidies during childcare leave, he said.
Government proposals should consider how to encourage fathers to participate in childcare responsibilities and break the misconception that it is solely a woman’s duty, Alliance of Educare Trade Unions member Chen Hui-ching (陳惠菁) said.
New policies should ensure women do not have to leave the workforce because they have children, Taiwan Labour Front secretary-general Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) said.
Additional maternity leave should preserve women’s choice as long as their health is not compromised, he said.
Moreover, the wage costs of additional leave should be covered by the government through social insurance or subsidies, he added.
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