The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for GIC-LAW-1

Jan. 19, 2024, 12:06 p.m.
Countries: Central African Rep
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"[An aim] of the [National Education Sector] strategy To is to] promote the establishment of preschools" (15).
Jan. 16, 2024, 6:33 p.m.
Countries: Botswana
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"The Employment (Amendment) Act of 2010 has set a minimum pay of 50% salary for women on maternity leave as compared to the previous dispensation where it was left to the discretion of the employer" (19, 30).
Jan. 4, 2024, 10:41 a.m.
Countries: Singapore
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Every Singaporean also received a one-off cash pay-out from the Care and Support package, Solidarity Payment and the Solidarity Utilities Credit" (5). "Shared Parental Leave was increased from 1 to 4 weeks" (6). "In 2017, the Government legislated the second week of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, and increased Shared Parental Leave from one to four weeks. Childcare and Infant Care Leave entitlements are also extended equally to working fathers and mothers" (14)."Preschool services have been made more affordable through universal subsidies for all families with Singaporean children enrolled in childcare and infant care programmes, and additional means-tested subsidies for low- and middle-income families" (15).
Dec. 5, 2023, 11:18 a.m.
Countries: China
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"[T]he lack of social welfare provisions for families such as free or low-cost childcare [are factors behind low fertility]" (pp 12). "The government has tried to address some of the social complaints with new policies on tax deductions, childcare, parental leave, and the costs associated with raising children. It banned the $1bn private tutoring industry to improve study-life balance and assist parents who couldn’t afford the growing competition" (pp 19).
Nov. 28, 2023, 1:11 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"The high cost of childcare is a major deterrent to having children in China" (pp 4). "China has been trying to encourage couples to have more children with tax breaks and cash handouts, as well as more generous maternity leave, medical insurance and housing subsidies" (pp 16).
Nov. 21, 2023, 6:10 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"The Court of Appeal has upheld legislation which allows the abortion of babies with Down's syndrome up until birth, after a challenge by a woman with the condition" (para. 1).
Nov. 21, 2023, 5:44 p.m.
Countries: Australia
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Saturday that the government would boost paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks in a staged plan to be rolled out by July 2026" (para. 1). "Eventually, all families with a new baby will be able to access six months of leave shared between two parents and paid at the rate of the national minimum wage" (para. 2). "Single parents will be able to access the full 26 weeks, while the leave will be made more flexible with parents able to take it in blocks between periods of paid work" (para. 3). "The ACTU noted Australia currently had one of the lowest-paid parental...more
Nov. 6, 2023, 11:49 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Thirty-one provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country have refined their policies on additional leave as a reward for compliance with family planning requirements, to explicitly provide that women are entitled to such leave of one to nine months, in addition to the 98 days of statutory maternity leave, and that men are entitled to paid paternity leave of 7 to 31 days" (22). "From 2009 to 2016, the Central Government earmarked 22.6 billion yuan as grants for more than 74 million rural pregnant women" (27).
Nov. 3, 2023, 11:41 a.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

“Women who do not want to sacrifice their careers are now simply choosing not to have children. South Korea's fertility rate (the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime) has fallen to 0.81, the lowest in the world. Its population is predicted to halve by the end of the century, meaning it may not have enough people to sustain its economy and conscript into its army” (para 32). The barrier between motherhood and having a career suggests a lack of sufficient pro-natalist policies (ET - CODER COMMENT).
Oct. 10, 2023, 3:49 p.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Tuesday, June 27, 2023: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act takes effect today, requiring employers to make 'reasonable accommodations' for pregnant and postpartum workers" (para 1). “'Today’s Senate vote is a historic victory that has been more than 10 years in the making,' said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. 'When this end-of year package passes the House and is signed into law, it will no longer be the case that pregnant workers can be ousted from their jobs for simply requesting basic accommodations like permission to sit on a stool, carry a bottle of water, or take additional bathroom breaks" (para 5). “'Before this...more
Oct. 10, 2023, 12:58 p.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"During a visit to a nursery in September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted that more than $200 billion has been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years" (para 8). "Yet since assuming office in May, his administration has come up with few ideas for solving the problem other than continuing in a similar vein – setting up a committee to discuss the issue and promising yet more financial support for newborns. A monthly allowance for parents with babies up to 1-year-old will increase from the current 300,000 won to 700,000 won ($230 to $540) in 2023 and to 1 million Korean won ($770) by...more
Oct. 4, 2023, 6:58 a.m.
Countries: Angola
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"[T]he approval of General Labour Act No. 7/15 on 15 June 2015, provides for maternity leave and the availability of microcredits for women... [A]ccess to food subsidies, maternity allowances and credits is conditional on engagement in the formal employment sector [is concerning]" (11).
Sept. 30, 2023, 4 p.m.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"The Committee welcomes the strategic development plan for the period up to 2025, but is concerned that the State party’s development efforts have not translated into substantive equality for women with increased social and economic benefits. In particular, it notes with concern the following: (a) The lack of access to social security benefits and childcare allowances for unemployed women and women employed in the informal sector; (b) The low social benefits and the lack of high-quality rented accommodation provided to large families living in poverty" (pp.14-15).
Sept. 18, 2023, 2 a.m.
Countries: Bhutan
Variables: DACH-PRACTICE-1, LBHO-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3, ABO-LAW-1

"Writing the previous year, Wangdi pointed explicitly to gaps in economic and governmental participation, with far fewer women than men in the civil service workforce and women making up just 8.5 percent of the National Assembly and 24 percent of the National Council. On a personal level, female reproductive rights lag in certain aspects. While women in the public and private sectors receive three months’ maternity leave with 100 percent of their wages, abortion is illegal except in certain specific cases, leading many women to cross into India and seek abortions in unsafe conditions" (para.4).
Sept. 18, 2023, 2 a.m.
Countries: Bhutan
Variables: DACH-PRACTICE-1, LBHO-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3, ABO-LAW-1

"Writing the previous year, Wangdi pointed explicitly to gaps in economic and governmental participation, with far fewer women than men in the civil service workforce and women making up just 8.5 percent of the National Assembly and 24 percent of the National Council. On a personal level, female reproductive rights lag in certain aspects. While women in the public and private sectors receive three months’ maternity leave with 100 percent of their wages, abortion is illegal except in certain specific cases, leading many women to cross into India and seek abortions in unsafe conditions" (para.4).
Aug. 24, 2023, 1:08 a.m.
Countries: Cape Verde
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"[G]ender stereotypes are [persistent and] a root cause of the assignment of a disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic work, child-raising and care of family members to women and the insufficient maternity leave afforded to women, thereby limiting their access to the labour market;" (9). "[T]he period of maternity leave [is] two [months]" (10). The CEDAW committee recommends this be increased to four months (MV- coder comment). "[P]aternity leave [is not established] to be taken within the first two weeks of the child's birth" (10).
Aug. 15, 2023, 6:17 a.m.
Countries: Cote D'Ivoire
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"The prevalence of violations against women and girls working in the informal sector and in domestic work, particularly with regard to sexual harassment in the workplace and violations of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, the guarantee of the minimum salary, paid leave, maternity and paternity leave and the respect of maximum working hours (for domestic workers), the lack of implementation of relevant national legislation, and the concentration of women in the informal labour market and their exclusion from labour and social protection" (11-12).
Aug. 8, 2023, 12:20 p.m.
Countries: Senegal
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"To ensure that these rights and freedoms are fulfilled and to strengthen their guarantees, the following laws have been adopted: Act No. 2015-15 of 16 July 2015 authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183)..." (3)(NF - CODER COMMENT - The act states that all female workers, regardless of nationality, have the right to maternity leave). "Senegal also has a national action plan for the eradication of gender-based violence and the promotion of human rights. This multisectoral document, covering the period 2017–2021, is now being implemented and has led, among its initial results, to the formulation of regional action...more
July 25, 2023, 10:44 a.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"[There is a] National social protection policy framework for the period 2016–2025, which is aimed at building an efficient and financially sustainable social protection system, including financial support for pregnant women and children under 2 years of age who are in situations of poverty" (2). "[There is concern about a] high concentration of women in low-wage and unskilled jobs, including in the textile, garment and footwear industries and the construction sec tor, where women are employed on short-term or fixed-duration contracts, which undermines their ability to bargain collectively through trade unions and precludes them from basic labour protection and benefits, such as maternity leave and paid leave" (11).more
July 21, 2023, 11:58 a.m.
Countries: Azerbaijan
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"The termination of a working contract by the employer is prohibited in relation to women with pregnancy and also, having a child below 3 once they have the current job as the only income source and the employee that up bring a child aged below the school age on their own only… It is prohibited to decrease the salary of women because of their pregnancy or breastfeeding… [A]n incomplete working day or an incomplete working week with paid salary [is guaranteed] in case when women with pregnancy and a child aged under 14 or women that take care after an ill member of the family" (23).
July 10, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Maldives
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"The Law Number 8/2008 (Employment Act) prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, provides for equal pay for equal work, maximum hours of work, overtime, annual and sick leave, guidelines for workplace safety, maternity and additional parental leave. In 2018, the newly elected Administration of His Excellency President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, under the President’s 'One Hundred Day Pledge' committed to extending paid maternity leave from four months to six months; and paid paternity leave from three days to one month. This has been achieved as of 7th March 2019." (20).
June 20, 2023, 9:30 p.m.
Countries: Nicaragua
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Following the adoption of a special law on the protection of families affected by multiple pregnancy and birth (Act No. 718), during the period 2010–2018 the Ministry assisted 2,621 mothers a year who had children from a multiple birth, providing them with support and delivering food parcels every three months to improve nutritional levels." (8). "In 2014, the family law regime was updated with the enactment of the Family Code (Act No. 870).12 Articles 79 and 261 of the Code enshrine the right to take maternity and paternity leave upon the birth or adoption of a child. The spouse or partner in a stable de facto union is entitled to...more
June 14, 2023, 7:56 p.m.
Countries: Bolivia
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"[T]he Universal Maternal and Child Insurance scheme, which up until this year has been providing universal and free health benefits to women during pregnancy and up to six months after childbirth and to children under the age of 5" (24).
May 23, 2023, 11:57 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: SMES-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

"[C]hengdu, capital of the southwestern Sichuan province, which legalised registration of children by unmarried women in February, something China is considering implementing nationwide to address record low birth rates. The changes mean unmarried women can take paid maternity leave and receive child subsidies previously only available to married couples. Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic" (Para.2-3).
April 1, 2023, 9:26 p.m.
Countries: Uzbekistan
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"A presidential decision of 7 March 2019 on measures to further strengthen guarantees of labour rights and support for women’s entrepreneurial activity, which strengthens guarantees of women’s labour rights, established that, as of 1 May 2019:...if a father uses at least three months’ leave to care for a child, one of the parents is entitled to an additional month of parental leave with the payment of benefits in the manner prescribed by article 234 of the Labour Code; one of the parents raising a child under the age of 2 years, owing to the breaks taken for rest and meals, as well as the feeding of the child during work,...more
March 18, 2023, 10:20 p.m.
Countries: Ethiopia
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"The legal frameworks further provide for paid maternity leave and guarantee job security during pregnancy and immediately after delivery. In addition, the Civil Servants Proclamation provides for paid paternity leave for five working days at the time of delivery" (16)
March 15, 2023, 4:58 a.m.
Countries: Bulgaria
Variables: GIC-LAW-1, GIC-LAW-3

“In June 2000, Bulgaria ratified selected Articles of Part II of the Social Charter of the Council of Europe, which included provisions for gender equality and some special protections for women, such as the right of women and men workers to equal pay for work of equal value, the right to maternity leave and the payment of adequate benefits” (50). “However, Bulgarian legislation is also lacking in several areas. Most important to the question of women in the labour force is that it does not comply with ratified ILO conventions, namely Convention 100, establishing the right to equal remuneration of women and men for work of equal value. This provision...more
March 8, 2023, 1:43 p.m.
Countries: Montenegro
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Special treatment of persons with disabilities, youth, and women has been improved with new provisions, such as that a pregnant employee has the right to one day of absence from work during the month to perform prenatal examinations, during which time they are entitled to compensation as if at work (Article 122). A higher degree of protection of the rights of pregnant employees and employees using the right to maternity or parental leave is also provided in the context of protection against termination of employment and a more precise definition of restrictions related to terminating the employment contract (Article 123). In order to protect the rights of pregnant employees, i.e.,...more
Feb. 27, 2023, 1:02 p.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"Recent governments have indeed been alarmed by a rate that’s seemingly approaching zero. Over 16 years, 280 trillion won ($210 billion) has been poured into programs encouraging procreation, such as a monthly allowance for parents of newborns." (para 9). "It’s clear that countries with a disproportionate division of child care or lacking national paid parental leave, like Japan and the United States, also have plunging fertility rates. It’s the same with China, where women inspired by South Korea started their own 'Four nos' movement; government data this month reveals its population is shrinking, too. But countries with cooperative fathers and good family policies, like Sweden, or that recognize diverse companionships,...more
Feb. 24, 2023, 12:54 p.m.
Countries: Nepal
Variables: GIC-LAW-1

"With the recognition of maternity as a social function, both mother and father are entitled to paid maternity leave and allowance. Awareness on maternal and child care, vaccination, periodic antenatal and postnatal check-up and role of husband and family members have been on increasing trend." (27). "The GoN’s social security schemes have been vital in enhancing social equity and justice. The government has been providing social security benefits through various programs to the most vulnerable groups in the country since 1994/95. Major recipients of social security allowances are senior citizens, single women, persons with disabilities, targeted marginal communities, and other women and children, of whom more than 50 percent are...more