Miscarriages and stillbirths: New Zealand to allow bereavement leave
- Published
Couples in New Zealand who have a miscarriage or stillbirth will be eligible for paid bereavement leave under a new law approved by parliament.
MP Ginny Andersen, who put forward the bill, said it would allow mothers and their partners to "come to terms with their loss" without taking sick leave.
The bill also applies to those having a child though adoption or surrogacy.
New Zealand joins a small number of countries in the world to introduce the measure, including Philippines and India.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The legislation, which was unanimously passed in parliament, provides three days of bereavement leave.
Ms Anderson said one in four women in New Zealand have had a miscarriage and she hoped the new provision would give them "time to come to terms with their loss without having to tap into sick leave".
"Their grief is not a sickness, it is a loss. And loss takes time," she said, adding that New Zealand was "leading the way for progressive and compassionate legislation".
A year ago, parliament passed a reform bill that decriminalised abortion and allowed women to choose a termination up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
You might also want to read:
Related topics
- Published1 October 2020
- Published4 September 2020
- Published1 October 2020
