Xinhua Insight: Longer maternity leave for second-child mothers, more supports still wanted

A new policy on extended maternity leave in Liaoning Province came just at the right time for Ge Shengnan, who recently welcomed her second child into the world.

"It is a godsend that maternity leave has changed from three to five months," said Ge, 31, who lives in the provincial capital of Shenyang.

Policies extending maternity leave have come in the wake of changes to the family planning law last year, which now allows all couples to have a second child.

In Liaoning, besides the 98 days leave mandated by law, as of March 23, women employees can have an extra two months for both children. The previous regulation only gave extended leave to mothers pregnant with their first child.

Besides Liaoning, around 20 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities also amended their family planning regulations. Extending maternity leave from 128 days to one year, depending on the area.

Beijing announced on March 24 that maternity leave would be extended to 218 days, including the 98 days mandated leave and 30 days according to a local regulation. In addition, depending on employers ability to facilitate it, women can have an extra one to three months, too.

In Chongqing Municipality, as of April 1 besides the 128-day maternity leave, women may take up to one year's additional leave if employers agree.

The revised policies also abandoned provisions encouraging later marriage and pregnancy, and adopted or prolonged paternity leave.

"My elder child is not yet two, so the 15 days paternity leave was a great help," said Ge.

Guo Zhigang, professor at Peking University, said, "It is important to create a favorable policy environment for couples of child-bearing age."

Wang Delin, vice chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, noted that public services such as health care, education and employment should also catch up with the growing need.

MORE DOCTORS

The two-child policy has fanned concerns over the urgency to improve maternal and child health care.

According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), 90 million women will qualify for a second child under the two-child policy that took effect on Jan. 1. Sixty percent are over 35 years old, and 50 percent are over 40.

Thus, later pregnancies, which are associated with higher risks, will become more commonplace, said Yang Lan, vice head of maternal and child care service center of Gansu Province.

China also has a shortage of pediatricians.

According to the 2015 China Health Statistics Yearbook, the number of pediatricians has fallen from about 105,000 to 100,000 in the past five years. On average, there are only 43 pediatricians for every 100,000 children.

The government is calling on universities and medical schools to train more midwives and pediatricians, and championing higher salaries to make these occupations more appealing, said Yang Wenzhuang, head of the Department of Community Family Planning with the NHFPC.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Additionally, childcare and women's careers are big concerns for second-child couples.

According to a survey by China Youth Daily last month, of the 2,001 surveyed, more than half said a lack of care givers was the biggest obstacle preventing them from having a second child.

Sun Xiaomei, a national legislator and professor with China Women's University, said, "Many women complain that they were afraid that a second child would affect their career."

"For one thing, women who have or plan to have a second child may encounter prejudice in terms of employment and promotion," she said, "for another, a lack of public service in such areas as childcare and education could result in economic and emotional pressure."

More infant care centers and high-quality, low-cost kindergartens will be needed. Moreover, governments should launch policies to better protect women's right to work, she suggested. Endi