Working mothers and their denied right to work and breastfeed

In its issue of today, An Nahar newspaper published an article by former director of UNICEF in Lebanon, Dr. Ali Zein on the rights of women to work and breast feed, with special focus on the positive health and economic benefits of breast feeding. Zein pointed out that notwithstanding the international recognition of motherhood as a social occupation, Lebanon has not to date endorsed the International Maternity Protection Convention. The government, Zein explained, reduced the agreement to an extension to 10 weeks of the maternity leave in the private and public sectors by virtue of the Law of April, 2014, noting though that it is one of the shortest maternity leaves in the world. Quoting the Central Administration of Statistics data for 2011, Zein said it has shown that the level of formal employment for women in Lebanon stood at 20.5%, increasing to a record high of 47% for under 30 years of age, then dropping to 33% in the course of five years and reaching a low of 19% at the age of 45 years. This, Zein maintained, confirms that existing policies place working women against two options: continue to work or raise a family. Even if the mother chose to continue breast feeding her child, Zein clarified, her job prevents her from doing that, particularly in the absence of proper legislations that protect and respect her wish. On the subject of women working in the informal sector, and who constitute a big percentage of the workforce, Zein noted that due to the unofficial registration of similar jobs and occupations, women workers are left with no rights and  are therefore unprotected. The former UNICEF representative finally underlined the need for Lebanon to sign the Maternity Convention and to develop a new law that will ensure the protection of motherhood. (An Nahar, May 5, 2016)