ILO Conventions

Strengthening maternity protection in Ukraine

News | 28 January 2019

©AFP/Europress

Oleksandra Vynogradova, senior expert working at a NGO called All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, recently became a mother and resumed her work after maternity leave. She has since become a strong advocate of the mothers’ rights to breastfeed, including at workplace. “Breastfeeding is perceived very negatively in our society. It seems that the community simply excludes new mothers. Therefore, you have to stand your ground at work and discuss time allocation for breastfeeding”--Oleksandra says. To find out more how pregnant and breastfeeding working women can have their maternity rights at work better protected, Oleksandra came to participate in the training organized by the ILO, along with her newborn. Oleksandra found out about the new ILO convention on maternity protection that Ukraine seeks to ratify - ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No.183).

Olexandra was surprised to find out that a reasonable level of maternity protection has already been extended under the present legislation in Ukraine as compared to other countries. Currently, the Ukrainian legislation provides a paid maternity leave of 18 weeks which is longer than in some EU countries such as France (16 weeks) or Germany (14 weeks). The remaining challenge is to avoid any discrimination at work of present or future mothers and to inform better about the legal rights protecting maternity.

Decent working conditions and employment protection for pregnant and new mothers are fundamental rights and they are preconditions of gender equality. This is exactly what the ILO Convention C183 is promoting - further enhance the degree of maternity protection extending protection to nursing women from any employment-related discrimination that may occur, for instance, at recruitment or unjustifiable lay-off. There is also an important business case for better reconciling family and working life as the working age population of the Ukraine is quickly shrinking and a higher employment rate of women is one of the possible solutions.

ILO has supported the Ukraine’s drive towards better protection of maternity with the C183 by providing a national legislative review of compliance with ILO Convention No.183 and a training of organizations and multipliers that promote maternity protection. As social dialogue plays a crucial role in the ratification process, the ILO offered a training on maternity protection to the members of the National Tripartite Socio-Economic Council in September 2018, followed by a training of ILO consituents and civil society organizations in November 2018. Participants discussed key issues like health protection, maternity benefits, protection of employment and non-discrimination, return to work after maternity leave, and conditions for breastfeeding at the workplace. As a result of these activities, stakeholders, like Olexandra, will be fully equipped to further disseminate and share knowledge throughout the country to ensure that maternity protection is promoted at the workplace. Galyna Kolosiuk, Head of the Secretariat of the Union of All-Ukrainian Trade Unions and “Unity” trade union confirmed to do the same: “After this training I will personally advocate with all stakeholders to make maternity protection happen”.

This intervention has been part of a large-scale 5 years ILO project to create inclusive job opportunities funded by Denmark.