A proposal to extend paid maternity leave for women employees in the private sector from 60 to 70 days has been unanimously approved by MPs.
The legislative proposal, amending the 2012 Private Sector Employment Law, was presented by five female MPs led by Hanan Fardan, who stressed the need to grant additional time for working mothers to recover from childbirth and care for their newborns.
The proposed amendment modifies Article 32 (A) of the law by increasing paid maternity leave to 70 days and allowing an additional 15 days of unpaid leave, if requested by the employee.
“This initiative aligns with Bahrain’s constitutional commitment to supporting women in balancing family and professional responsibilities,” said Ms Fardan. “Increasing maternity leave ensures that working mothers receive the necessary time to recover and provide early childcare, which is essential for both maternal and infant health.”
Parliament’s services committee chairwoman MP Jalila Al Sayed, who is also a co-sponsor of the proposal, said women contribute significantly to Bahrain’s workforce and it is only fair that they are provided with the necessary support.
“This amendment is a step towards ensuring that working mothers are not forced to choose between their careers and their families,” she said.
“We must recognise the long-term benefits of investing in maternal and child well-being.”
Meanwhile, MPs yesterday unanimously approved a new legislation aimed at attracting high-value investments to Bahrain, in fields such as agricultural technology, food security, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, robotics, microelectronics, and financial technology manufacturing.
It was submitted by the Strategic Thinking Bloc, led by Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman MP Ahmed Al Salloom.
“The objective of this proposal is to create a favourable environment for strategic investments that will drive Bahrain’s economic growth, diversify our economy and create promising job opportunities for Bahrainis,” said acting financial and economic committee chairman MP Mohammed Al Marafi.
The proposed bill consists of nine articles, however, a crucial component is Article Three, which details the incentives granted to qualifying investment projects. These include tax exemptions, streamlined business licensing and access to industrial land.
Both proposals will now be drafted as proper legislations by the government within six months and referred to the National Assembly for review.
Parliament also unanimously approved the following proposals and referred them to the Cabinet for review:
* Obliging the Education Ministry to purchase the campus of the rented Sanabis Primary School for Girls.
* Unifying road usage bans for trucks and heavy vehicles.
* Allocating government plot/plots for car dealerships, agencies and companies.
* Launching a national fund to develop and support old residential areas.
* Replacing expatriate workers in non-university degree jobs with Bahraini nationals within five years.
* A comprehensive review of capital requirements to ensure that commercial registrations remain active and that businesses are not hindered by financial constraints.
* Establishing a specialised centre for inventors to support innovation and technological advancement in the kingdom.
* Increasing nursing scholarships to boost jobs for Bahrainis and strengthen the healthcare sector.
* Introducing a special programme by Tamkeen to support the wages of Bahraini athletes and sports’ professionals.
Top stories for today:
Five drug dealers arrested
Iran sceptical over US talks on nuclear deal
EXCLUSIVE: Movie ‘great news for F1’
&uuid=(email))