Trabalho e proteção à licença maternidade e paternidade nos países de alta, média e baixa renda.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the characteristics of maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, parental and paternity leave in low, middle and high-income countries. Method: This is an ecological study, whose data on maternity leave, other leaves and breaks for breastfeeding, paternity leave and parental leave were extracted from a document developed by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and the economic classification (high, medium and low-income) and geographic were taken from the World Bank. The study's unit of analysis consisted of 179 countries from different continents: East Asia and the Pacific (n=24), Europe and Central Asia (n=48), Latin America and the Caribbean (n=33), Middle East and North Africa. Africa (n=19), North America (n=2), South Asia (n=6), Sub-Saharan Africa (n=47). Data were expressed in absolute and relative frequencies and according to the economic classification of the countries. Results: In the group of countries, the duration of maternity leave equal to 14 weeks was predominant (48.3%), however, duration greater than 18 weeks were observed mainly in high-income countries (16.6%). In high and middle-income countries, leave was financed from the public fund (51.6%), while in low-income countries, the responsibility for payment of leave was mostly attributed to the employer (60%). Most countries analyzed offered paid breastfeeding breaks of 60 min/day (65.9%) lasting 6 to 9 months (41.6%). Parental and paternity leave, analyzed together, were mostly offered by high-income countries (57.4%). The exclusive presence of parental leave was more frequent in middle-income countries (25.4%) and paternity leave in low-income countries (66.6%). Most countries offered paternity leave for 5 days or less (46.8%) and for 6 to 30 days (46.8%). The vast majority of countries granted parental leave for 30 to 365 days (55.8%). Conclusions: Our article suggests the need for broader maternity benefits: longer periods of paid leave, greater provision of paid breaks to protect and support women's right to work and breastfeed.