Under the labour law passed in April, mothers on maternity leave earn 100% of their salary for the first 6 weeks, but are only entitled to between 60-67% of the income for the last 6 weeks. So what mothers have been doing is give less time to the newborn to stay at work longer so they earn all the salary.
Under a new plan unveiled Tuesday, an insurance scheme is to be introduced which will cover part of the salary that mothers do not get. The scheme should allow mothers more time with their newborns, according to its initiators.
However, it does not mean that after the final 6weeks a mother must get back to work and could be allowed to continue the paid leave on the recommendation of a doctor, according to Ms. Mukandutiye Speciose, president of the Rwanda women parliamentarians’ network.
The group, which is behind the scheme, says there is nothing new. Within the region, breasting feeding mothers on leave in Tanzania get 100% of their salaries for 12 weeks.
In Burundi a woman in the same situation earns 50% of her salary for the first of the 12 weeks stay-away. As for Uganda, mothers are entitled to an eight-week maternity leave, with a 100% of her payment for only one month.
Whereas for neigbouring Kenya, a woman undertaking her maternity leave gets an eight week maternity leave with her full salary. For Botswana, the new mother gets 12 weeks with 25% of her salary.
However, for the mothers in Lesotho, they spend 12 weeks without earning any thing.