Why maternity leave is such a hot issue | CD Voice

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You'd think offering mothers of newborns more paid time off would be music to the ears of those planning to have a family one day, but not all women have welcomed moves by China's provinces to extend paid maternity leave. 

Since 2012, Chinese women have been entitled to at least 98 days of paid maternity leave. But since the introduction of the two-child policy at the start of last year, many provinces and regions keen to lift the birth rate in their boundaries now require employees to go above and beyond that, resulting in a patchwork of incentives for new parents across China.  

Tibet Autonomous Region is set to become the most generous in the country, granting mothers a whole year at home with their newborn. Fathers would also be able to access 30 days paid leave. 

That overtakes Guangdong's 208 days which was previously China's longest, and is up there with the best in the world. 

Sweden is often regarded as the model in this area, granting the primary carer 56 weeks of paid time off to be taken any time in the child's first eight years. The time can be shared between either parent. 

At the other end of the scale, the United States is one of only four countries that doesn't have paid maternity leave with the idea dismissed as a job killer. 

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump floated a six-week paid maternity leave scheme that was typically light on in detail. Surprise, surprise, there's been little talk of it since he stepped into the oval office. 

In the middle is Britain which guarantees mothers 39 weeks' paid leave and Australia mandates 18 weeks.

While the benefits of supporting parents to spend more time with their child in the first months of their life are well-documented, governments mandating paid maternity leave tend to be more focused on economic matters. 

China is one of many countries grappling with an ageing population and the worrying effect that will have on the workforce, healthcare costs and taxes. 

When the birth rate dropped to record lows in Australia a decade ago, the then Treasurer famously implored couples: "You should have one for the father, one for the mother and one for the country." 

Inserting national duty into family planning only goes so far, easing the economic burden of another mouth to feed is more effective. 

But rather than celebrating China's progress in this area, it appears some women are worried. On social media platform Weibo commenters expressed concern that it would put women at a disadvantage in the workforce. 

A 26-year-old woman commented that she was often asked if she had a boyfriend and if she was planning to get married in the near future during interviews with employers.  

Demographer He Yafu has suggested the government offer subsidies to enterprises that hire female workers to ease the burden caused when they have children. While that might work, governments shouldn't have to pay a company not to discriminate against women. 

Getting the best person for the job should be motivation enough and if not, governments should focus more on changing employers' attitudes and clamping down on gender discrimination. 

About the author & broadcaster

Rose Bolger joined China Daily at the start of November 2016 as a copy editor at the website. Having left her home in the small Australian city, Hobart, to move to one of the biggest cities in the world, she's looking forward to exploring Beijing. During her 10-year career as a journalist she has worked for newspapers, radio and television networks.

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