New maternity benefit bill good tidings for women

It is a very great initiative by the union government to increase the maternity leave from 18 to 26 weeks. This would give the mother adequate time to recover post pregnancy and also gives her time to bond with the baby. I think this decision would reduce a lot of attrition at workplace too. - Angitha Nambiar, Assistant Finance Manager

Every woman who is going to give birth to a child will feel happy if this becomes a reality soon. Child birth is the most painful, happiest and stressful time. So, she needs time to heal after giving birth. I feel this is the best time for a new mom to take care of herself and her baby without any trouble. The paternity leave in this bill will also help the new parents to share the responsibility of raising the kid. IT sector companies should provide work from home option for women after maternity leave so that they can do their best. - Gangireddy Mounica, Software professional

Extended leave for maternity is definitely good news for all the working women. Three months of leave is very short period for a woman to come back and balance her work and personal life. With six months, women can give her best to child through breastfeeding and can also regain her strength. It will also help women to resume career without any bottlenecks. - Sandhya Rani, Software Professional

Working women need six months of maternity leave, as she needs time to connect to the baby. During this time, she understands the sleeping and feeding patterns of the baby. Even if she joins office early, she mentally would be worried about her baby. It is a learning phase for the mother and baby. Like every organisation has its learning phase at work, they should understand that it will take time for mother to connect with her baby. As we all know; nobody else can take care of the baby as a mother does. - Niharika Mamidi, a private employee

A It is a big decision in the right direction to give six months of maternity leave in private sector as most of the jobs are now in private sector. Now-a-days private organisations are providing three months of maternity leave without any salary. If this bill is implemented, it would bring a lot of joy in women employees. Hyma Reddy, sub-editor

Amother's state of being happy is a key for ensuring healthy delivery. Therefore, quality maternity leave is very important for women’s mental health. It’s a definitely a good news that government is trying to increase the maternity leave. This will really help women and her family not just financially but also mentally. I am looking forward for Lok Sabha to pass the bill soon so that many new mothers like me can have quality time with kids. - Sravanthi Chaitanya, Project Manager

Extending maternity leave for private employees is a great move taken by the government. This leave is not meant for enjoyment but to understand the changes happening in her body, post pregnancy. This period is crucial for both mother and baby as the baby has to adapt to the world and so does the new mother as she has to play a new role now. - Karunasri Madireddy, Senior Process Associate