Resources on maternity protection

  1. Costs and benefits of investing in transformative care policy packages: A macrosimulation study in 82 countries

    09 March 2022

  2. World Social Protection Report 2020–22: Regional companion report for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

    30 November 2021

    This regional companion report for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is intended to complement the ILO’s World Social Protection Report 2021–22. Social Protection at the Crossroads – in Pursuit of a Better Future. The regional companion report first gives a global perspective that is taken from the main report and outlines recent developments in social protection systems worldwide. It then highlights key developments, challenges and priorities for social protection in the MENA region.

  3. Maternity income protection in Southern and Eastern Africa. From concept to practice

    02 December 2019

    This publication is part of a collaboration of the ILO with the Eastern and Central Africa Social Security Association (ECASSA) to encourage the move from employer liability systems to social insurance based systems and to provide universal and comprehensive coverage.

  4. Multinational enterprises and social protection: A case study of the L’Oréal Share & Care Program​

    31 January 2019

    Recognizing the possible beneficial effects for workers and enterprises, many MNEs have undertaken or are currently planning to undertake programs to offer social protection to their employees, going beyond legal obligations. This is a voluntary effort by enterprises that falls under the CSR framework. In this regard, this paper analyses improvement in coverage due to the implementation of such a program, L’Oréal’s Share & Care, and explores the possible effects of the change in a large number of benefits on performance-related indicators. It is also the first attempt to examine the impact of a social program by a company participating in the Global Business Network.

  5. Universal Social Protection Floors: Costing Estimates and Affordability in 57 Lower Income Countries

    13 December 2017

    This paper presents the results of costing universal social protection floors in 34 lower middle-income, and 23 low-income countries

  6. Maternity protection and workers with family responsibilities in the formal and informal economy of Ghana. Practices, gaps and measures for improvement

    23 November 2017

  7. Cash transfer programmes, poverty reduction and women’s economic empowerment: Experience from Mexico

    23 August 2017

    This working paper on cash transfers in Mexico presents the impact of a major national cash transfer programme on health, education, income, poverty, labour force participation, time use and bargaining power of women at the household and community level. Its results point to evidence that most of these gender-related interventions have focused on breaking the inter-generational cycle of poverty, particularly for disadvantaged girl children, but have been weaker in promoting women’s economic empowerment through employment or sustainable livelihoods. It also highlights the challenge of enhancing women’s economic empowerment with targeted actions aimed at reducing women’s time poverty and redistributing unpaid care responsibilities between women and men and between families and the State. This working paper is a joint publication of the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch in the ILO Conditions of Work and Equality Department and the ILO Social Protection Department.

  8. In-depth assessment of employment injury compensation arrangements in Sri Lanka

    01 July 2016

    ILO has assisted the Government by conducting a study to assess the feasibility of establishing an employment injury insurance (EII) scheme and to estimate financial requirements, explore coordination with other social security schemes, and to provide recommendations for a benefit package. The study has proposed a transformation from the employers’ liability scheme to employment injury insurance which is a desirable step in the development process of industrial injury compensation.

  9. Study on maternity protection insurance in Sri Lanka

    01 July 2016

    When women are discriminated against due to their reproductive role or not provided maternity protection, and when workers with family responsibilities are not protected, societal impacts can be wide-ranging.

  10. The motherhood pay gap: A review of the issues, theory and international evidence

    06 March 2015

    Evidence that mothers suffer a wage penalty over and above the penalty for being a woman raises concerns not only for gender equality but also for the capacity of societies to manage a sustainable balance between their economic aims of active female participation in paid work and the social aims of providing a fair distribution of income to support the reproduction and rearing of children. These concerns underpin ILO Conventions designed to combat inequality in women’s position in paid employment, especially associated with motherhood status.