Govt. should bear maternity leave cost of private sector female employees: Era

• Says women are lifeline of country’s economy
• Says UNP Govt. introduced the 84-day holiday as a maternity benefit
• Notes private sector considers cost of paid leave a burden and does not like to recruit female employees.

“As women contribute immensely to the economy of this country, the Government should bear the maternity leave costs of the private sector female employees,” SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne said on Tuesday.

Speaking during the debate on imposing a CESS tax under the Export Development Act, Wickramaratne said that women provide a lifeline to the economy by earning much-needed foreign currency and are the key contributors to the garment exports industry, the traditional tea sector and even to the expatriate worker remittances.

The SJB MP also said women excel in education. “In schools, most of the students who pass the GCE Ordinary and Advanced Level exams are girls. The university entrants are also the same. Women also excel in the competitive examinations for recruitments to the public sector. 

“Be it management assistance services, teacher services or all-island services, it is mostly women who pass the exams and enter the public sector. As a result, now we see a female dominance of over 50% in the public sector,” Wickramaratne said. He noted that amidst all these favourable situations, gender inequality and domestic violence are still a problem.

“We are talking of a one-country one-law policy. But I see one country with two laws when it comes to vulnerable people. We have to ask ourselves whether we treat the women in the garment sector as if they are second-class citizens,” he said.

The UNP Government, he said, introduced the 84-day holiday as a maternity benefit. The private sector considers the cost of paid leave as a burden and does not like to recruit female employees.

“There are over 200,000 educated jobless females between the ages of 20 and 40. If the Government comes forward to bear the maternity benefit cost of private sector employees as well, it will help reduce unemployment among females.  

“This will cost approximately Rs. 4.2 billion. We spend Rs. 37 billion for Samurdhi. Recruitment of graduates to public service will cost more,” he said, adding that in more than 129 countries, the State bears the cost of the maternity benefit of female employees working in the Government and private sector. Of these 96 countries bear the cost fully while 33 countries bear half of the cost,” he said.