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Legal landscape shifts to empower women in the workplace – Laetitia Saint Maur
Eleanor Sa-Carneiro
During an interview discussing women’s health and workplace dynamics, an expert provided insights, into emerging frameworks and trends in different regions offering valuable perspectives on how they might shape the work environment in the future.
When asked about frameworks concerning health, fertility treatments and menopause, Laetitia Saint Maur, who has taken her commitment to women’s well-being to the next level by founding a digital platform focused on women’s health, shared a fascinating overview of evolving regulations. While acknowledging room for improvement, the expert highlighted progress taking place in countries.
Japan and Indonesia have been at the forefront of Asia’s pioneering efforts. Early as 1947 and 1948 respectively Japan and Indonesia introduced laws allowing for leave. In Japan specifically employers are prohibited from women to work during their days of menstruation if they experience pain. However, Laetitia noted a disparity between the existence of this law and its actual implementation; an increase in claims rose from 20% in 1967 to 50% by 2017.
Indonesia’s approach allows female workers to request two thirds of their working days off during their cycle with specific details being determined through negotiations, between employers and employees.
Noteworthy labor laws also exist in South Korea and South Africa. In South Korea women are given a day off every month while in South Africa it is referred to as “Mothers Day ” allowing women to take a day off each month without providing any justification.
“In Taiwan, a woman can ask for one day per month, but at half of their wage. So it’s it’s great. It’s a bit different than other countries. And when you see some other things in Vietnam’s as well, I think I’ve seen some interesting story in Vietnam. Women can have 30 minutes break on their first days,” she said.
Zambia has a concept where Mothers Day is granted to all women without the need for any certificates or justifications. This demonstrates a commitment to promoting women’s health in the workplace.
While recognizing the progress in frameworks Laetitia emphasized that companies have the opportunity to take the lead in fostering diversity and inclusion. They can potentially surpass the pace at which laws are evolving. As businesses strive to be more supportive of women’s health these legal developments indicate a shift towards creating an accommodating work environment, for women worldwide.
