The 26-week paid maternity leave is actually counter-productive

These stipulations will discourage small businesses from hiring women altogether

Women activists who last week intuitively hailed the doubling of paid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks may discover that this amendment to the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, is unlikely to serve the cause of gender equity in the long run. The counter-factual argument has less to do with the position that offering a woman half a year of maternity leave is unnecessary; on the contrary, the Bill aligns with the health ministry’s recommendation for breastfeeding for six months, critical in a country where infant health and survival remain a matter of concern. The problem, perhaps, lies in the