Political activist and presidential aspirant Job Amupanda finds it perplexing that expectant mothers lose 50% of their remuneration while on maternity leave.
“Why should the woman’s salary be reduced by 50% from N$30 000 to N$15 000 if she pays (Social Security subscriptions) together with others every month? Imagine if insurance companies only paid 50% (cover) after a car accident or after your death? Why can’t the full salary continue for three months?” Amupanda asked on his social media platforms.
According to Section 9(1) of the Social Security Act, maternity leave benefits shall be equal to 100% of the basic wage of the female employee concerned, up to a maximum of N$15 000 per month, payable for a maximum of 12 weeks.
The Affirmative Repositioning leader further said there is need to amend the Social Security Act to allow all women to receive their full salaries for three months while on maternity leave.
He argued that even in capitalist countries, such injustice does not happen.
“In fact, there are capitalist countries with six-months maternity leave, but here it is only three months, and half of what you are supposed to earn,” he said.
Amupanda expressed disappointment in female lawmakers, whom he accused of not doing enough to address issues affecting women, including skewed maternity benefits.
“With a female prime minister, a female vice president, a female gender equality minister, and 40 female parliamentarians, the law has not changed. Yet, we wonder why we have a low birth rate among employed women and a low population,” he said.
Not so long ago, Popular Democratic Movement lawmaker Winnie Moongo moved a motion in the National Assembly to discuss the possibility of increasing the amount payable in respect of maternity leave, paying women their full salaries, and extending maternity leave up to five months with full pay, including paternity leave.
Moongo argued that the maximum N$15 000 per month for a maximum of 12 weeks is not sufficient.
“Imagine a situation where a government employee who has a housing bond, the employer covers the subsidy, and the employee will need to pay the difference (for the
three months she is on maternity leave). This payment must come from N$15 000 (sic),” Moongo said.
“From the social security pay-out, the employee is also obliged to pay government medical contribution, GIPF, social security contribution, and for most, their own policies. However, the government only pays transport,” she said at the time.
She argued the situation has pushed expecting women to work until their due date to avert potential financial losses from an earlier SSC payout, a situation she described as not financially sustainable.
Moongo also believes women who are absent from work on maternity leave should be entitled to a cash benefit that ensures they can maintain themselves and their child in healthy condition.
“Breastfeeding mothers should be provided with the right to one or more daily breaks or a daily reduction of hours of work to breastfeed their child. The period during which nursing breaks or the reduction of daily hours of work are allowed, their number, the duration of nursing breaks, and the procedures for the reduction of daily hours of work should be determined by national law and practice,” she said.
Moongo continued: “These breaks or the reduction of daily hours of work should be counted as working time and remunerated accordingly.”
Study
A recent study by the Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia (Nafsan) proposed that institutions should create a conducive environment for working mothers. The study, funded by the European Union and spearheaded by the Namibia Civil Society Network, calls for the government and private entities to promote, protect and support exclusive breastfeeding by enforcing legislation that enables mothers to breastfeed or access pump milk facilities at the workplace.
According to the report, there are no policies in place to support breastfeeding mothers, especially in the first months of their return to work from maternity leave.
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