School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, , Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa.
Department of Mercantile and Labour Law, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Western Cape, South Africa.
J Hum Lact. 2022 Nov;38(4):686-699. doi: 10.1177/08903344221108090. Epub 2022 Jul 8.
Maternity protection rights incorporate comprehensive benefits that should be available to pregnant or breastfeeding working women.
To describe South Africa's maternity protection legal and policy landscape and compare it to global recommendations.
A prospective cross-sectional comparative policy analysis was used to review and describe national policy documents published from 1994-2021. Entitlements were mapped and compared to International Labour Organization standards. The document analysis was supplemented by interviews conducted with key national government department informants. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate policy and interview content.
Elements of maternity protection policy are incorporated into South Africa's constitutional dispensation, and some measures are consistent with international labor and social security standards. However, the policy framework is fragmented and difficult to interpret. The fragmented policy environment makes it challenging for employees to know their maternity rights' entitlements and for employers to understand their responsibilities. Confusion regarding maternity protection rights is amplified by the complexity of ensuring access to different forms of maternal protection in pre- and postnatal stages, oversight by multiple government departments, and heterogenous working environments.
Maternity protection in South Africa is fragmented and difficult to access. Overcoming these challenges requires legislative and implementation measures to ensure greater policy coherence and comprehensive guidance on maternity protection rights. Addressing gaps in maternity protection in South Africa may provide insights for other countries with shortcomings in maternity protection provisions and could contribute to improved breastfeeding practices.
孕哺保护权益包含了应提供给怀孕或哺乳期工作女性的综合福利。
描述南非孕哺保护的法律和政策现状，并将其与全球建议进行比较。
采用前瞻性的横断面比较政策分析，对 1994 年至 2021 年期间发布的国家政策文件进行审查和描述。将权利进行映射，并与国际劳工组织的标准进行比较。文件分析补充了对国家政府部门主要知情人的采访。采用主题分析评估政策和采访内容。
孕哺保护政策的一些要素被纳入南非的宪法分配中，并且一些措施与国际劳工和社会保障标准一致。然而，政策框架是分散的，难以解读。分散的政策环境使得员工难以了解其孕哺权益，雇主也难以理解其责任。由于确保在产前和产后阶段获得不同形式的孕哺保护的复杂性、多个政府部门的监督以及多样化的工作环境，孕哺保护权利的混淆问题更加严重。
南非的孕哺保护是分散的，难以获得。克服这些挑战需要立法和实施措施，以确保更大的政策一致性和孕哺保护权利的综合指导。解决南非孕哺保护方面的差距可能为其他在孕哺保护规定方面存在不足的国家提供启示，并有助于改善母乳喂养实践。
