By giving a mother two extra weeks of maternity leave, and a father three more days, Rwanda has reached the minimum recommended maternity leave as set by the International Labour Organization (ILO). A female employee who gives birth has a right to a maternity leave of 14 consecutive weeks, according to a Ministerial Order issued by the Minister of Public Services and Labour, Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayirangwa. This new development represents an increase of two weeks compared to the three-month leave a working mother in Rwanda was previously entitled to. The maternity leave includes two weeks that a female employee may take before delivery, states the Ministerial Order of August 1, 2023. It was published in the Official Gazette on August 2. ALSO READ: Relief for working mothers as maternity leave benefits scheme comes into force On the other hand, a male employee is entitled to a paternity leave of seven calendar days, which is three days more than the previous arrangement. The Executive Director of Rwanda Labour Rights Organization (RLRO), Germain Mirimo, told The New Times that the improvement focuses on the right of a child and parents – in line with “what we call work-life balance,” towards ensuring comfort for the working parent when they have given birth. For him, the situation where a mother had to leave a baby after 12 weeks of maternity leave was concerning because the baby still needs a mother after that period. “Though the additional two weeks are not enough because a baby should be exclusively breastfed for at least six months, it is a good step forward,” he said, expressing optimism that the government could extend it for better work-life balance. He said that by granting a 14-week maternity leave (or three months and a half) to a working mother who has given birth, Rwanda has reached the minimum recommended maternity leave as set by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Again, he said, increasing paternity leave to seven days is a commendable move, but not enough given that a mother and child need care from the father after delivery, by especially helping the mother to recover from weakness caused by delivery. The ideal leave, he said, is six months for a mother, and a month for a father upon birth of a child. He noted that there are entities that grant that kind of leave to their employees. Such a leave would improve the bonding between the mother, father and their newborn, and ensure better care for both the mother and the child, he indicated. ALSO READ: Fathers need longer paternity leave; here’s why The National Women Leader at Rwanda Workers' Trade Union Confederation (CESTRAR), Dativa Mukaruzima, told The New Times that an increase in maternity leave and paternity leave was necessary. “Extending maternity leave from 12 weeks to 14 weeks is laudable. It suggests that as the country registers progress and gets more resources, it could be further increased to 18 weeks, and even six months,” she said. “What is most important is to provide adequate care to the child such that he or she is properly breastfed, and for the mother to be able to get adequate care after delivery,” she said, adding the father contributes to the achievement of that. During a parliamentary session on March 21, MP Frank Habineza said that working mothers were leaving their babies to domestic workers soon after three months of maternity leave elapse. He proposed that maternity leave be doubled for better child care. ALSO READ: Longer maternity leave sparks public debate Labour Minister Rwanyindo told lawmakers on March 21 that increasing maternity leave to six months was a good idea and the country would continue to push so that is achieved. But she indicated that for that to be possible, it required further expanding the social security system, which has a budgetary impact. She said the country was considering adding two weeks to the maternity leave as per the minimum 14 weeks mandated by ILO standards. The ILO recommends increasing the maternity leave to at least 18 weeks (or four months and a half) to ensure adequate rest and recovery time for the mother.
