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PREGNANT THOUGHT: ARMENIAN LAWMAKERS INTEND TO CHANGE MATERNITY POLICY
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
03.11.10 | 16:34
Social
An open letter, expressing more than ten NGO's discontent over the
draft law on 'Temporary Unemployment Benefit' has been submitted
to the RA president last week by organizations dissatisfied with the
proposed law's shortening of maternity leave.
Currently new mothers are allowed 140 calendar days for which the state
gives them allowances. The new law envisions only 100 days, cutting
out the non-working days that are presumed in the 140 days now covered.
The amount of compensation she would receive would also change. A
ceiling on compensation would be set at 150,000 drams (about $420)
a month, even if the mother's salary exceeded that amount.
Armen Hayrumyan, Head of Armenian Center for Youth and Student
International Relations and Exchange (ACE) NGO, the initiator of the
open letter to the President of Armenia, told ArmeniaNow the new law
violates not only all pregnant women's rights, but also the rights
of those get a high salary.
"Women who get high salaries, pay a considerable amount of money
to the social welfare fund for this very purpose. And during their
whole life they may have only one, or two-three children, and their
money won't be returned in this case," Hayrumyan says.
One of the arguments of the initiators of the draft law and specialists
is that by the new law they will try to fight against the illegality
committed by employers who hire women during the last months of their
pregnancy, for them to get maternity allowances at the expense of
the state.
Jemma Hasratyan, head of the Armenian Association of Women with
University Education NGO, says this way the state wants to improve
its social policy by increasing women's burdens.
"Go, check, punish the [committers of the] illegality! Women should
not suffer because some 10 employers have taken advantages," she says.
From: A. Papazian
By Sara Khojoyan
ArmeniaNow
03.11.10 | 16:34
Social
An open letter, expressing more than ten NGO's discontent over the
draft law on 'Temporary Unemployment Benefit' has been submitted
to the RA president last week by organizations dissatisfied with the
proposed law's shortening of maternity leave.
Currently new mothers are allowed 140 calendar days for which the state
gives them allowances. The new law envisions only 100 days, cutting
out the non-working days that are presumed in the 140 days now covered.
The amount of compensation she would receive would also change. A
ceiling on compensation would be set at 150,000 drams (about $420)
a month, even if the mother's salary exceeded that amount.
Armen Hayrumyan, Head of Armenian Center for Youth and Student
International Relations and Exchange (ACE) NGO, the initiator of the
open letter to the President of Armenia, told ArmeniaNow the new law
violates not only all pregnant women's rights, but also the rights
of those get a high salary.
"Women who get high salaries, pay a considerable amount of money
to the social welfare fund for this very purpose. And during their
whole life they may have only one, or two-three children, and their
money won't be returned in this case," Hayrumyan says.
One of the arguments of the initiators of the draft law and specialists
is that by the new law they will try to fight against the illegality
committed by employers who hire women during the last months of their
pregnancy, for them to get maternity allowances at the expense of
the state.
Jemma Hasratyan, head of the Armenian Association of Women with
University Education NGO, says this way the state wants to improve
its social policy by increasing women's burdens.
"Go, check, punish the [committers of the] illegality! Women should
not suffer because some 10 employers have taken advantages," she says.
From: A. Papazian