Discrimination in maternity leave - Letter

why is there discrimination between these government institutions viz statutory boards and corporations vs other government institutions. In fact, female employees in statutory boards and corporations contribute to the development of this country as same as other female employees in the government service. I have always wondered whether we are women or not due to these brainless deeds by the heads of prominent government institutions.

I am an executive, working in a well-known statutory body in Sri Lanka. I have been experiencing the impact of blind circulars implemented by so-called efficient governance.

I invite and appeal to other female employees to join hands with me to make our presence felt to brainless and mindless heads of government institutions, who take policy decisions.

This is with reference to the Public Enterprises Circular No. PED/40 related to abolishing of maternity leave granted by the Public Administration Circular No. 04/2005 to female employees in statutory boards and corporations.

It has been specified in the Public Enterprises Circular that female employees in the statutory boards and corporations are not entitled for the maternity leave granted by the PA Circular No. 04/2005 and they are only entitled for 84 working days.

The PA Circular No. 04/2005 had been uniformly applied to all government institutions, statutory boards and corporations before the issue of PED Circular No. PED/40. As a result of these circulars, now, the institutions under the purview of the government have a different number of days as maternity leave against the maternity leave in the statutory boards and corporations.

My question is, why is there discrimination between these government institutions viz statutory boards and corporations vs other government institutions.

In fact, female employees in statutory boards and corporations contribute to the development of this country as much as other female employees in the government service.

I have always wondered whether we are women or not due to these brainless deeds by the heads of prominent government institutions. As I mentioned, a well-known person in a prominent government institution has signed the circular no PED/40, which nullifies the benefits granted by the PA Circular No. 04/2005.

I would like to question him as to what basis he has discriminated women in the government service and the statutory boards and corporations. Have these people come to this world from a different kind of womb or from an animal womb for that matter? There should not be any kind of discrimination such as the above within the same sex. The people who are in charge of taking such decisions, should allow female employees to enjoy their maternity leave in terms of the PA Circular no. 04/2005 and we, the working women of this country, demand that the PED Circular No. PED/40 be abolished with immediate effect.

The women employees who have given birth and lost the benefit of enjoying maternity leave after 27/09/2006 (date of issue of PED Circular No. PED/40), be given maternity leave in terms of PA Circular No. 04/2005 or compensated with cash rewards for the suffering they had to endure in bringing up their babies. The loss of presence of a caring mother and prevention of feeding a baby at the early stages of his/her life should not be devalued at any cost.

Good governance practices should minimize these kinds of loopholes, which create a lot of humiliation. Motherhood is a very unique experience where discrimination should not be done. Maternity leave is an incentive for women employees, if accurately and more humanely implemented, where their best output could be obtained.

The authorities may slip through this by saying that the Shop & Office Act is applicable to statutory bodies and corporations and the Establishment Code is applicable to other government institutions.

This has been a practice in most government organizations where certain institutions apply the Shop & Office Act and others the Establishment Code for the employees. Yet again, I would like to ask why is there a differentiation in law application to government organizations. These can be seen as major loopholes in the government sector.

Bureaucrats and heads of trade unions, please understand the true aspect of good governance! Please be mindful enough to abolish those blind circulars for the sake of working mothers of this country!
(Sent on behalf of a group of women who wish to remain anonymous).