Government proposes six months’ paid maternity leave

Kathmandu, September 16: The government has proposed providing mothers with at least six months of paid maternity leave and fathers with 42 days of paid paternity leave.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the proposed provisions are included in a bill prepared to amend the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2075.

In a post on social media, Minister Gautam said the bill will first be presented to the Cabinet and subsequently tabled in Parliament.

She said ensuring that parents have sufficient time to care for newborns and their families is a responsibility of the state, particularly as changing lifestyles and increasing work pressures have led many families to have only one or two children.

Minister Gautam also stressed that although childbirth is directly associated with mothers, the responsibility of raising and caring for children should not rest solely on them. She described parenting as a shared responsibility between both parents.