Smt. Krishna Tirath to Address Consultation on the Maternity Benefit Act 1961

Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development will preside over a day long consultation on the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 tomorrow at Vigyan Bhavan. While Smt. Tirath will deliver the Inaugural Address Shri Sisram Ola, Minister, Labour and Employment will deliver the Keynote Address.

Maternity protection is an essential pre-requisite for women’s rights to gender equality with regard to their work and profession. The right to maternity protection is enshrined in the Constitution of India, along with international instruments such as the International Human Rights Instruments and the International Labour Conventions. It is implemented through the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961.

This day long consultation will deliberate on the following issues: implementation and operationalisation of the Act in all States; non inclusion of the workers employed in the informal sector; eligibility of a sector or class of establishments under the purview of the Act, among other issues.

The day long consultation will be organized at Committee Room no. A, Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.