The New Zealand parliament has passed a new law that allows couples who have miscarriage or stillbirth to have a paid bereavement leave. The bill, tabled by MP Ginny Andersen, was unanimously passed by the parliament.
Andersen says that the bill says it would allow mothers and their partners to “come to terms with their loss” without taking sick leave. The bill also covers those having a child through adoption or surrogacy.
With this significant development, New Zealand became only the second country in the world after India to have taken these measures.
Under the legislation, the couple who has had a miscarriage will be allowed to have three days of paid bereavement leave.
“Final reading of my Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage Bill. This is a Bill about workers’ rights and fairness. I hope it gives people time to grieve and promotes greater openness about miscarriage. We should not be fearful of our bodies,” she said on Twitter.
Final reading of my Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage Bill. This is a Bill about workers’ rights and fairness. I hope it gives people time to grieve and promotes greater openness about miscarriage. We should not be fearful of our bodies. pic.twitter.com/dwUWINVjLm
— Ginny Andersen (@ginnyandersen) March 24, 2021
Ms Anderson highlighted that every one in four women in New Zealand has had a miscarriage and she hoped the new provision would give them “time to come to terms with their loss without having to tap into sick leave.”
Ms Ginny Anderson believed that the grief of the unfortunate couples is not a sickness.
“It is a loss. And loss takes time,” she said, adding that New Zealand was “leading the way for progressive and compassionate legislation.”
The country had also passed a law last year that decriminalized abortion, allowing women to choose a termination up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Leave a Reply