"Extension of Maternity Leave: A Victory for Women and Premature Babies' Rights in Tanzania"

The Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania recently passed the Bill for the Amendment of Labor Laws for 2024, amending Section 33 during the 18th Meeting of the Fourth Session. This amendment extends maternity leave for employees who give birth to premature babies, allowing their maternity leave to be extended to cover the remaining weeks of the standard 40-week pregnancy term. The Bill also increases paternity leave for fathers of preterm babies from three days to seven days.

These changes address long-standing challenges faced by mothers of premature babies, including insufficient time for proper care, fear about job security, workplace policies often not account for the special needs of these parents and more. The new law gives mothers of premature babies additional time to care for their children, which will improve the health and well-being of both the mother and the child.

The amendments aim to protect the health and well-being of premature babies, who require special care. This change ensures that mothers and premature infants are now receiving the benefits they are entitled to, marking significant progress in the labor sector.

“This long-awaited development follows years of advocacy, especially from Members of Parliament. Women in the private sector have faced numerous challenges. For example, a mother’s maternity leave could end while her child is still only one month and 10 days old. This situation has been particularly tough for women. The new law will support both mothers and fathers, playing a crucial role in the survival of newborns and the well-being of mothers.” – Mariam Kisangi, MP

How Did It Happen? This achievement is the result of a long journey that began in 2018, initiated and led by the Doris Mollel Foundation. That year marked the first formal call to the Tanzanian government to recognize the challenges faced by parents of premature babies through a stakeholder workshop. Momentum increased in 2021 when a nationwide campaign was launched to push for three key policy reforms:

• Extending parental leave from three months to six months for mothers of premature babies. • Ensuring all health insurance providers, including the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and private insurers, cover preterm medical care in maternity packages. • Incorporating education on prematurity into Tanzania’s national science and biology curriculum to ensure future generations understand neonatal care.

Over the years, additional partners joined to amplify the call for these changes. Various stakeholders, including Women Fund Tanzania through the Reproductive Health Rights(SRHR) Coalition, played a key role in supporting and advocating for the legal amendments. Other contributors include TUGHE, TUCTA, and a network of mothers with premature babies.

Contribution of Women Fund Tanzania: Recognizing the importance of reproductive health rights for women, WFT-T made significant contributions to the campaign, including launching and strengthening the Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Coalition to support this agenda. The efforts aimed to strengthen the intersectionality of SRHR actors and the women and children's movement, creating a more robust and functional platform. Other contributions include capacity-building on feminist movement-building, supporting strategic meetings between the SRHR coalition and key stakeholders and decision-makers, technical committee meetings, and raising awareness among MPs and the women's movement.

The Extent of the Problem in Tanzania

Premature birth is a major issue in Tanzania, contributing to 40% of neonatal deaths. Out of the 2 million babies born each year, 16.6% are premature. This statistic highlights the scale of the problem and reinforced the Parliamentary Committee’s decision that it was the right time to amend and pass this law.

Premature babies face serious health challenges. Their brains, lungs, and liver are not fully developed, and their bodies struggle to regulate temperature, making them vulnerable to life-threatening conditions. Their immune systems are weaker, leaving them more susceptible to infections and anemia. However, with proper care, premature babies can grow up to be healthy. This makes the new law particularly important.

Way Forward:

Amending and passing this law is a historic step. However, there is still work to be done to ensure the law is fully implemented and effective. Women Fund Tanzania is committed to continuing its support in advocating for high-quality, effective health systems for all, particularly for women and children.