Working women in Morocco struggle for breastfeeding breaks
Although Morocco guarantees breastfeeding breaks for nursing women at work after returning to work from maternity leave under its Labor Code, some employers do not allow women to breastfeed at work.
HANAN HARITE
Morocco- Nursing women in Morocco face difficulties after returning to work from maternity leave because some employers do not allow women to benefit from the breastfeeding breaks guaranteed by Morocco’s Labor Code. Recently, women’s right to breastfeeding at work has been discussed in the country.
“Some employers deprive working women of breastfeeding breaks guaranteed by Morocco’s Labor Code,” said Saida Waed, coordinator at the Equality, Parity and the Rights of Working Women Department of the Democratic Confederation of Labor. “Women are deprived of their rights after returning to work from maternity leave. Depriving women of breastfeeding breaks is psychological violence against nursing women and their children.”
In Morocco, working women have the right to 12 months of maternity leave. Working women can have a year of non-paid maternity leave if their employers agree. When they return to work, they have the right to breastfeed their children at work, half-an-hour in the morning and half-an-hour in the afternoon. According to the Labor Code, a special room for breastfeeding shall be established in every company having at least 50 employees. “However, the code has not been implemented by some employers. If the employers implement the law, the problems faced by nursing women will be solved,” said Saida Waed.
‘Women do not know their rights’
Most working women do not know their rights, Saida Waed said, “They do not file a complaint because they do not know their rights. When employers do not allow women to benefit from the breastfeeding breaks, they face a fine ranging from 2,000 ($200) to 5,000 Dirhams ($500). Unfortunately, women stop breastfeeding in the early months because they do not seek their right to breastfeeding at work.”
Pointing out that the ILO's Convention 190 is ratified by Morocco, she said, “The effective implementation of the convention is important to ensure the rights of mothers at work. If the convention and the Labor Code are implemented, mothers will be more productive at work.”