Ljubljana:The government has advanced a proposal to extend the current maternity leave from 98 days to six months.
According to National News Agency Nepal, health sector experts have endorsed this proposed change as essential and significant. They highlight that it would allow mothers to rest adequately after childbirth, care for their newborns, and practice exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months.
The proposal involves amending the ‘Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2075.’ The draft of the ‘Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights (First Amendment) Bill, 2083’ suggests providing six months of paid maternity leave for women employed in government, non-governmental, and private sectors, covering periods before and after childbirth.
Additionally, the proposal includes granting male employees 42 days of paid paternity leave, referred to as maternity care leave, upon the birth of their child. The House of Representatives approved a proposal seeking consideration of the bill on Monday.
Minister for Health and Food Safety, Nisha Mehta, presented the proposal, emphasizing that investing in motherhood equates to investing in the state’s future.
Dr. Gauri Pradhan Shrestha, Chief of the Maternal and Newborn Health Section under the Family Welfare Division, stated that six months of maternity leave is crucial for the health of both mother and child. She noted the practice in developed countries of offering extended leave for childcare, citing nations where leave extends up to two years. She stressed the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months, given its vital role for newborns.
Data from the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (2024-25) indicate a decline in breastfeeding rates in the country, with only 70% of infants under six months receiving exclusive breastfeeding and less than 40% beginning breastfeeding within an hour of birth.
Dr. Shree Prasad Adhikari, Director of Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, also described the six-month maternity leave provision as positive and beneficial for the health of mothers and newborns.