WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Are employers required to take steps to prevent workplace discrimination on the basis of maternal status?

The term “maternal status” includes gender-neutral references to caregiving (‘parenthood’, ‘having children’, workers with ‘family responsibilities’), and gender specific references to ‘motherhood’ or ‘maternity.’ For the purposes of this variable, the term “maternal status” captures all of these definitions, but it does not capture job protections that narrowly apply to mothers’ leave-taking alone.

No prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status indicates that legislation does not specifically prohibit maternal status-based workplace discrimination broadly, nor specifically against discrimination in hiring, promotions and/or demotions, training, pay, nor terminations. This does not mean that legislation denies this guarantee.

No explicit requirements means that legislation does explicitly prohibit at least one of these forms of maternal status-based workplace discrimination, but it does not at the same time pair this prohibition with an explicit requirement that employers actively prevent it.

General requirement, but no specific measures means that employers are generally required to prevent maternal status-based workplace discrimination, but there are no specific descriptions of the form that this prevention should take.

Employers required to take one or more measures means that employers are explicitly required to take at least one concrete preventive action against maternal status-based workplace discrimination, such as, for example, providing training to employees, developing a code of conduct, or raising awareness of existing legislation.

Countries

Afghanistan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Algeria - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Angola - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Antigua and Barbuda - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Azerbaijan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Bahamas - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Bangladesh - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Belarus - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Benin - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Bhutan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Bolivia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Botswana - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Brunei - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Burundi - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Cameroon - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Central African Republic - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Chad - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

China - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Colombia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Republic of the Congo - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Cote d'Ivoire - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Cuba - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Dominica - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

El Salvador - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Equatorial Guinea - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Gabon - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Georgia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Ghana - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Haiti - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Iceland - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

India - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Indonesia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Iran - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Iraq - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Jamaica - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Japan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Jordan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Kazakhstan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Kenya - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Democratic People's Republic of Korea - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Republic of Korea - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Kuwait - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Laos - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Lebanon - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Libya - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Madagascar - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Malaysia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Mali - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Marshall Islands - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Mauritania - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Micronesia, Federated States of - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Monaco - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Mozambique - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Myanmar - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Nauru - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Nepal - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Niger - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Nigeria - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Oman - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Pakistan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Palau - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Panama - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Papua New Guinea - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Paraguay - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

The Philippines - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Poland - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Qatar - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Rwanda - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

San Marino - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Saudi Arabia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Senegal - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Seychelles - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Sierra Leone - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Singapore - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Solomon Islands - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Somalia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Sri Lanka - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Sudan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Suriname - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Sweden - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Tajikistan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Thailand - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Timor-Leste - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Tonga - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Trinidad and Tobago - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Tunisia - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Turkmenistan - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Uganda - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

United Arab Emirates - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

United States of America - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Uruguay - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Vanuatu - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Venezuela - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Yemen - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Zimbabwe - No explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on maternal status

Andorra - No explicit requirements

Argentina - No explicit requirements

Armenia - No explicit requirements

Australia - No explicit requirements

Austria - No explicit requirements

Bahrain - No explicit requirements

Belgium - No explicit requirements

Belize - No explicit requirements

Brazil - No explicit requirements

Burkina Faso - No explicit requirements

Cambodia - No explicit requirements

Canada - No explicit requirements

Cabo Verde - No explicit requirements

Chile - No explicit requirements

Comoros - No explicit requirements

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No explicit requirements

Costa Rica - No explicit requirements

Denmark - No explicit requirements

Djibouti - No explicit requirements

Dominican Republic - No explicit requirements

Egypt - No explicit requirements

Eritrea - No explicit requirements

Ethiopia - No explicit requirements

Fiji - No explicit requirements

The Gambia - No explicit requirements

Greenland - No explicit requirements

Grenada - No explicit requirements

Guatemala - No explicit requirements

Guinea - No explicit requirements

Guinea-Bissau - No explicit requirements

Guyana - No explicit requirements

Honduras - No explicit requirements

Hungary - No explicit requirements

Ireland - No explicit requirements

Israel - No explicit requirements

Italy - No explicit requirements

Kiribati - No explicit requirements

Kyrgyzstan - No explicit requirements

Latvia - No explicit requirements

Lesotho - No explicit requirements

Liberia - No explicit requirements

Liechtenstein - No explicit requirements

Luxembourg - No explicit requirements

North Macedonia - No explicit requirements

Malawi - No explicit requirements

Maldives - No explicit requirements

Malta - No explicit requirements

Mexico - No explicit requirements

Morocco - No explicit requirements

Namibia - No explicit requirements

The Netherlands - No explicit requirements

New Zealand - No explicit requirements

Nicaragua - No explicit requirements

Peru - No explicit requirements

Portugal - No explicit requirements

Russian Federation - No explicit requirements

Samoa - No explicit requirements

Sao Tome and Principe - No explicit requirements

South Sudan - No explicit requirements

St. Kitts and Nevis - No explicit requirements

St. Lucia - No explicit requirements

Eswatini - No explicit requirements

Switzerland - No explicit requirements

Syria - No explicit requirements

Türkiye - No explicit requirements

Tuvalu - No explicit requirements

Ukraine - No explicit requirements

United Kingdom - No explicit requirements

Bosnia and Herzegovina - General requirement, but no specific measures

Czech Republic - General requirement, but no specific measures

Norway - General requirement, but no specific measures

Slovakia - General requirement, but no specific measures

Togo - General requirement, but no specific measures

Albania - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Barbados - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Bulgaria - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Croatia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Cyprus - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Ecuador - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Estonia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Finland - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

France - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Germany - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Greece - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Lithuania - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Mauritius - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Moldova - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Mongolia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Montenegro - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Romania - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Serbia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Slovenia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

South Africa - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Spain - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Tanzania - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Uzbekistan - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Vietnam - Employers required to take one or more specific measures

Zambia - Employers required to take one or more specific measures