New Zealand Parliament passes bereavement leave law for miscarriages, stillbirths

 The paid leave provisions under the new legislation will apply to the mothers, their partners as well as to those parents who have been planning to have a child through surrogacy and adoption.

The Parliament of New Zealand unanimously approved the legislation that will give couples- who have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth- three days of paid leave.

With this, New Zealand has become the second country in the world to provide such benefits, as India is the only other country with such legislation.

The bereavement allowance, which was passed unanimously in New Zealand’s Parliament, gives employees three days' leave if a pregnancy ends with a stillbirth or miscarriage without having a tap into the employee’s sick leave.

Key Details:

•  The leave provisions under the new legislation will apply to the mothers, their partners as well as to those parents who have been planning to have a child through surrogacy and adoption.

•  According to Labour Party MP Ginny Anderson, one in four women in New Zealand have suffered a miscarriage.

•  India is the only other country that has similar legislation.

New Zealand leads way for progressive legislation:

The MP of Labour Party Ginny Anderson, who had initiated the bill stated that the passing of the bill has shown that once again New Zealand has been leading the way for compassionate and progressive legislation and has become only the second country in the world to provide paid leave for stillbirth and miscarriages.

She further added that the bill will give women and their partners sufficient time to come to terms with their loss without having to tap into their sick leaves. Because the grief that they face is not sickness, it is a loss and loss takes time.

New Zealand on women’s rights:

New Zealand has been leading a way on various woman’s rights issues. It was the first country in the world to give voting rights to women and has been a pioneer on the issues that revolve around woman’s rights.

The ruling center-left Labour government in New Zealand is led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is seen and known as a global champion for women. In 2020, her government passed a historic law to decriminalize abortion.