Maternity protection is a fundamental labour right and crucial for ensuring decent work and productivity for women and achieving gender equality at work. This right, which has been enshrined in core universal human rights treaties, includes among its principal elements maternity leave of not less than 14 weeks, protection against dismissal in the case of pregnancy or maternity, the reduction and interruption of paid working time for breastfeeding, and the payment of maternity leave by social security to avoid sources of indirect discrimination.
