Raising awareness about maternity rights

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are working together to look at the extent of pregnancy discrimination in the UK and its impact on families and the economy. Extensive telephone interviews of employers and mothers are being conducted between September and December 2014 to gain a complete and accurate picture of women and employers’ experiences of pregnancy and maternity leave in the UK.

The Valuing Maternity Campaign, led by the charity Maternity Action, is raising awareness of the cumulative effects of cuts to maternity benefits. Since 2010, the coalition government has made a succession of changes to benefits leaving pregnant women and new mothers facing increased hardship and difficulty.

The campaign is calling for more job security for all women during pregnancy and maternity, maternity and parental leave in order to promote real equality and services which support a safe and healthy pregnancy. Campaign partners include general unions GMB and Unite, teaching unions NASUWT, the National Union of Journalists, the Royal College of Midwives, the TUC, public services union UNISON, retail union Usdaw and the TUC.