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The International Labour Organisation and Maternity Rights: Evaluating the Potential for Progress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Jenny Earle
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Abstract

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This paper analyses the International Labour Organisation’s recent review of its Maternity Protection Convention (No. 103) and Recommendation (No. 95) from a feminist perspective, arguing the need for more comprehensive provisions in a revised convention. It also evaluates the provision of maternity rights in Australia, the Australian government’s position in relation to the ILO convention, and the capacity for international standards to extend maternity rights in this country. It argues that federal law reform is necessary to strengthen women’s maternity rights at work, and notes the importance of ratification of ILO 103 to such an agenda. However, the author is somewhat pessimistic about the immediate prospects both for the extension of standards in ILO provisions, and for substantial progress on maternity rights in Australia.

Type
Symposium on Parental Rights and Work/Family Balance
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , December 1999 , pp. 203 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1999

Footnotes

*

Women’s Legal Centre, ACT and Region, (to July 1999). This paper draws on research conducted by the author for the National Women’s Justice Coalition’s submission to the International Labour Conference’s 87th session, 1999. In writing that submission I was particularly grateful for comments and assistance from Ruth Jost (Equal Pay Watch), Caroline Alcorso, Alex Heron, Joanna Longley, Deb Brennan (Department of Government, University of Sydney), Dell Horey (Maternity Alliance), Therese MacDermott (Faculty of Law, University of Sydney), Julie Greig (Nursing Mothers Association), Helen Glezer (Australian Institute of Family Studies), Susan Biggs (Families At Work). I would like to thank Gillian Whitehouse for her invaluable assistance in preparing this article for publication.

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