The Knesset Committee for the Advancement of Women passed a bill that is calling to extend maternity leaves for mothers to 16 weeks from the present 14 weeks. The bill is sponsored by MKs Shelly Yacimovitz (Labor) and Gideon Saar (Likud). It will not be presented in the Knesset plenum for its first reading.

Just a year ago, the maternity leave period was extended from 12 to 14 weeks.

The MKs feel by extending the leave given to mothers after childbirth will contribute to reducing the number of women compelled to give up their jobs because they are not ready to return to the workplace.

The price tag for the extra two weeks if voted into law is NIS 240 million, which must be picked up by Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)