Resources on maternity protection

  1. Social Protection, Sustainable Development, and Right to Development

    25 September 2023

    Statement by ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, at the Human Rights 75 - September Thematic Spotlight Discussion co organized by the ILO and the UN Human Rights Office.

  2. A Century of maternity protection - An unfinished transformation

    08 November 2019

    One of the ILO’s very first Conventions covered maternity protection, but while there is plenty of evidence that maternity protection is good for individuals, societies and economies, there is still a long way to go to ensure that this universal right is a reality.

  3. © Curt Carnemark / World Bank 2024
    “Breastfeeding and Work - Let’s Make it Work!”

    31 July 2015

    "Ensuring adequate maternity protection and time and space for breastfeeding at work is not only the right thing to do, it also makes economic sense," says ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

  4. © Peter Parks / AFP 2024
    ILO Director-General Guy Ryder: “Decent work for women and men assures a better deal for families”

    15 May 2014

  5. Safety risks and discrimination pose serious threats to maternity in the workplace

    15 April 2011

    Women continue to face dismissal and discrimination in hiring on the basis of maternity, while some workplace environments pose hazards to reproductive health.