Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 03:17

Widening parental protections

THE CABINET’S plan to widen existing parental protections is a step in the right direction. Leroy Baptiste on January 11 announced proposals to amend the Maternity Protection Act to extend benefits to fathers, adoptive parents, and guardians left behind after a mother’s death. The labour minister further said the law will be changed to remove the 24-month limitation, which effectively penalises women for getting pregnant twice in one year. Additionally, the government is eyeing the establishment of paid breastfeeding breaks. And it hopes to bring about a ban on employers taking any sort of pejorative action, such as termination or pay cuts, against people who make use of parental leave. Legal proceedings are to be eased through courts for workers who file discrimination cases; pregnancy testing for job applicants or employees will also be prohibited. These would all be enlightened changes. But at a time when the birth rate has been falling, are such changes relevant? In 2024, Ministry of Health figures suggested this country had a fertility rate of 1.9 births per woman, lower than the 2.1 required to maintain the population. Last year, officials in Tobago lamented that the island had experienced a “drastic reduction” in births over a decade. Yet, the last time the Maternity Protection Act of 1998 was amended was in 2012. That’s over two decades ago. That alone should tell us how outdated the law is and how little it has kept up with the times. Putting aside all the complex social issues surrounding why people choose or do not choose to have families, economic realities, informed by an archaic legislative framework that does little to facilitate choices, might be one factor in our low birth rate. Another could simply be the country’s progression along demographic development cycles, where the more developed a country becomes, the lower its birth rate. Whatever the cause, these measures are merited on their own face. They have the ring of fairness and common sense. Why should women be discriminated against if they become pregnant? Why shouldn’t men be expected to parent? According to a Unicef report from the first quarter of 2025 on practices in Latin America and the Caribbean, existing policies on maternity leave are generally deficient. “Countries fall short in providing comprehensive solutions to families,” the report states. Additionally, according to a May 2025 International Labour Organisation brief on Caribbean practices, “deep-rooted gender inequalities continue to shape women’s experiences in the workplace.” The suite of measures announced by the government, if properly enforced, might go some way toward ameliorating what is already an uneven playing field. So, what Mr Baptiste has promised in embryonic form this week, we hope the Parliament eventually delivers. The post Widening parental protections appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.