Tanzania: Maternity leave reform boosts workers’ rights
“Tanzania’s maternity leave reform: Big win for workers’ rights”, February 12, 2025
Tanzania's decision to extend maternity leave for employees who give birth to premature babies marks a significant milestone in labour rights. This legislative change, enacted through amendments to the Employment and Labour Relations Act, Cap. 366, reflects the government’s recognition of the unique challenges faced by parents of preterm infants. With the amendment, maternity leave now accounts for the time a pregnancy would have been completed, ensuring that mothers receive adequate paid leave up to 40 weeks post-birth. This policy shift is not merely an administrative adjustment but a substantive reform with far-reaching implications for maternal and infant health, workplace productivity, and gender equality.
The move aligns Tanzania with global trends in prioritizing workers’ rights, particularly in balancing professional obligations with family responsibilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that preterm birth complications are the leading cause of neonatal deaths worldwide. Babies born prematurely require extensive medical care, including incubator support, specialized feeding, and constant monitoring. In this context, Tanzania’s decision to extend maternity leave acknowledges the medical reality that preterm babies need extra care, not only from hospitals but from their mothers.
From an economic standpoint, extending maternity leave could yield long-term benefits. Research has consistently shown that adequate maternity leave improves maternal mental health, reduces infant mortality, and enhances cognitive development in children. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce, and by allowing new mothers additional time to care for their children, the government may indirectly reduce absenteeism, increase employee satisfaction, and improve workplace morale. The amendment also addresses a longstanding fear among working mothers—job insecurity due to childbirth complications. Many women previously faced the dilemma of choosing between job security and their child’s well-being. With the new law, maternity leave begins when the baby reaches full term (40 weeks), ensuring that women do not lose their paid leave entitlement simply because their child was born prematurely. This change helps dismantle systemic barriers that disproportionately affect women in the workplace…