Building capacity, advancing rights: ILO boosts South Asia’s advocacy on maternity protection

COLOMBO (ILO News)- Women in South Asia face significant barriers in balancing work and family responsibilities due to their disproportionate unpaid care burdens, with the region registering some of the world’s lowest women’s labour force participation rates. These challenges stem from structural workplace discrimination, limited access to social protection, and entrenched gender roles.

Maternity protection aims to safeguard the health and well-being of both the mother and child, prevent discrimination against women due to pregnancy and childbirth, and ensure economic security during and after pregnancy - regardless of type of work, sector or contract status. By providing paid maternity leave, health benefits, flexible working arrangements and job security, maternity protection helps to create a supportive environment in which women can balance their professional and family responsibilities. In this regard, it plays a vital role in advancing gender equality in the workplace.

Against this backdrop, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a five-day Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme on Maternity Protection from the 11 - 15 of June 2025 in Sri Lanka. This residential training aimed to strengthen national capacity across South Asia to promote, implement, and advocate for comprehensive maternity protection in line with international labour standards. Building on this objective, the ToT focused on promoting stronger maternity protection and emphasizing the need for shared responsibilities between women and men – particularly in the area of unpaid childcare and domestic work after childbirth. The training aimed to build a regional pool of certified national trainers equipped to lead country-level capacity building efforts and promote inclusive, gender-responsive social protection systems.

© Portia Kemps/ILO

© Portia Kemps/ILO

Grounded on global labour standards

Central to the training were ILO Convention No. 183 (C183) and Recommendation No. 191, which outline five core elements of maternity protection: maternity leave; cash and medical benefits; health protection at the workplace; employment protection and non-discrimination and; breastfeeding arrangements at work. Participants also explored Convention No. 156 and Recommendation No. 165, which provides guidance to support workers with family responsibilities. A key topic of discussion was the extension of maternity protection to all workers, including those in the informal economy, in line with the rights-based approach of C183.

"The training helped us to understand maternity protection and the gender dimensions within the international legal framework and local legislations. We will be able to take this message very clearly- why maternity protection and gender equality should be a priority of the government and private sector in order to improve female labour force participation and increase GDP." - Roshan Shajehan (International Development Trainer, Sri Lanka)

"Being in positions of influence, we go back home better equipped, well acquainted to engage with stakeholders as to how more effective, efficient, and equitable workplace participation can be ensured." - Surjeet Choudhary (Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, India)

Those who successfully completed the programme will be certified as national trainers on maternity protection, and as a next step, will conduct follow-up trainings for ILO tripartite constituents in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries over the coming years.

This is a joint-initiative of two ILO projects—Creating Decent Work Opportunities for Domestic and Community-based Care Workers through Transformative Actions for Gender Equality in Sri Lanka, funded by the ILO, and Promoting and Building Social Protection in South Asia, funded by the Government of Japan—both of which focus on advancing social protection and decent work for women and men.