Algeria extends maternity leave … a positive but incomplete step

Algeria has announced the extension of the maternity leave for working women, in a move as long as civil society organizations, jurists and parliamentarians demanded. Although the decision was greatly welcomed, it was restricted by exceptions, which made it completely ill to many women.

Jaafari’s rumor, head of the Algerian Observatory for Women, commented: “Our joy has not been completed, because the decision did not include all mothers. According to the Minister of Family and Women’s Issues, this extended leave will be granted only to mothers who give children suffering from mental or congenital disabilities or need special care.” .

Jaafari added that the Algerian women need an extended maternity leave in general, and not only in special cases.

During her talk to Sky News Arabia, she emphasized the importance of breastfeeding, noting that “the prolongation of the maternity leave period will benefit the mother, child, society, and even the economy, as reducing dependence on imported industrial dairy dairy will reduce the state’s general expenditures.”

For its part, the educational expert, Fadia Daas, stressed the importance of extending the period of maternity leave for a full year.

She said during her talk to the morning program on Sky News Arabia: “The first six months of the child’s life is necessary for his psychological and physical development, but we really need a full year to ensure the adaptation of the child and his emotional and health stability.”

She added that the early return of mothers to work may affect their psychological and physical health, and increase the risk of postpartum depression, which needs an appropriate period of time to recover.

Working mothers face challenges in the work environment

The testimonies of many mothers indicate that there are non -supportive policies in some workplaces, as companies lack facilities such as providing flexible schedules that allow mothers to adapt to the needs of their children.

In this context, Daas revealed that some companies are practicing “brutal policies” against newly married pregnant or married female employees, which causes some women to hide their pregnancy for fear of losing their jobs.

Does the decision generalize in the future?

There is no doubt that extending maternity leave in Algeria is a positive step towards strengthening the rights of working mothers, except that restricting benefiting from it with certain groups raises widespread controversy between jurists and feminist organizations.

While some countries seek to grant a comprehensive maternity leave, Algerian women still hope that the circle of this decision will expand to include all mothers without exception. (Sky News)