According to a new report from the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) and UN Women, only 3% of women employed in Georgia are legally entitled to full-time paid maternity leave.
There are exceptions if the employer pays women’s compensation voluntarily, ”the report says.
According to the report, state compensation for maternity leave is GEL 167 (about $ 53.18 / € 44.83) per month, which is less than the subsistence level.
When the report was presented, it was pointed out that Georgian labor legislation sets different standards for different groups of workers.
Paid maternity leave is also available unequal to women and men, which is why most women give up their professional activity. Women are also responsible for family matters, so they are seen as unproductive and less attractive employees of childbearing age. After all, these circumstances have a negative impact on the participation of women in the labor force, ”reads the UN Women press release.
According to UN Women, Georgia has not yet ratified the International Labor Organization’s Maternity Protection Convention 183, which sets the minimum standards for the protection of pregnant women and working mothers in the labor market.
