Rwanda enacts friendly law for new mothers

Rwandan new mothers will no longer abandon children to rush back to work to provide for their families under the new friendly law passed by Parliament on Tuesday.

Under the law setting up maternity fund, working new mothers will be entitled to get their full-time monthly salary during a three-month maternity leave unlike previously when doing so meant derailing their earnings.

Most women are having babies at the peak of their careers.

Until now during the first six weeks of a mother's maternity leave, the mother had a right to her full-time salary, but would be required to forfeit 80 percent of the salary if she opted to stay home for the remaining six weeks of her maternity leave, as mandated by the labour laws.

Most working women on maternity leave would be compelled to abandon their babies after the first six weeks of giving birth for fear of losing out on their pay.

With the law establishing maternity leave benefits scheme, mothers will be entitled to their full-time monthly salary for the entire 12 weeks of their maternity leave.

Under the provisions of the law, the scheme will be sustained by both employees and employers with each contributing 0.3 per cent of the employee's gross monthly salary.

Briefing journalists in Kigaliafter passing the legislation, MP Yvonne Uwayisenga, said lawmakers were very happy that the law had been passed.

"It is a fair law for working women because they were not getting enough time to look after their children," she said. The new law will go into effect after presidential assent. Endit