Chair of the National Tripartite Council Sharon Martin said yesterday that the council is looking into recommendations to extend maternity leave in The Bahamas from 13 weeks to 20 weeks.
The decision comes as a result of a meeting between the council and the Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association (BNBA).
“Once a convention is ratified, we look at enacting, if it’s not already in law, some of the recommendations from the convention,” Martin said.
“So, that is definitely something that we’re looking at.
“We’ve already amended the Employment Act, but after meeting with them (BNBA), there are certain aspects that they are advocating for that we want to go back and take another look at to see how best we can make those amendments.”
The BNBA is advocating for maternity leave to be extended to 20 weeks. It’s currently 13 weeks.
“Our research proved that the major concern is working mothers were not breastfeeding because they have to go back to work; they’re thinking about their job description,” said Nurse Trineka Hall, BNBA treasurer and public relations officer.
“When they hear about the good benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, they are happy to know that they’re doing something good for themselves and the baby. You reduce breast and ovarian cancer. Everybody wins when you breastfeed. Most women only stop breastfeeding because they realize they have to go back to work. That’s why we went to the Department of Labour to find a way to put some policies and laws in place to work.”
Hall also suggested the implementation of crèches, a nursery for babies, in the workplace for breastfeeding mothers.
“What employers have to do is because they know those women have to be on the job, they need to make provision where they should have a place that the babies can be nearby; crèches,” Hall explained.
“So, if you have an employer of 1,000 people, you should be able to have a crèche where the women work, somewhere on the premises. Bosses need to be more lenient. People who work far distances from where they live, it’s more difficult, so that’s why we’re advocating.
“Or you give them breastfeeding extended lunch breaks at least until the baby is six months. You can give them the option to have an area where the baby can be brought to them to breastfeed, then they go back to work.”
While Martin noted that Bahamian laws are “not up to par” with the rest of the world’s maternity leave periods, she explained that there is a process.
“We have to sit down as a council and think things through,” said Martin.
“When you talk about giving leave, you’re also talking about employers and their budgets. So, that is not the process in how we do things. We have to have the public consultations, get the public to weigh in, the employers to weigh in. We do know, and if anyone reads, anyone can understand that the Bahamian law is not up to par where that is concerned, but that doesn’t mean that it’s something that we will push down anybody’s throat for want of a better word, until we do the necessary research.”
Martin noted that the BNBA’s recommendations are on the council’s agenda for 2023.