New Zealand’s Miscarriage Laws Set An Important Precedent

On March 24th, 2021, the parliament of New Zealand passed a law that requires workplaces to provide a paid, three-day leave to women who have miscarriages. The vote was unanimous, every member involved decided it was time to make this change. We should all be like New Zealand.

According to the NHS (United Kingdom National Health Services) “Among women who know they’re pregnant, it’s estimated about 1 in 8 pregnancies will end in miscarriage.” This means that about 20 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriages. That ratio shows the frequency and prevalence of miscarriages and highlights the significance of the issue.

Miscarriages can be extremely painful both mentally and physically for the women and families that experience them. Not only can miscarriages cause pain such as cramping, but it is also extremely emotionally scaring.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine states, “Miscarriage usually includes an intense period of emotional distress. This reaction tends to improve over the following several months, but some residual physiological concerns remain. It is important to screen for depression and anxiety in patients following a miscarriage.”

Miscarriage is one of the hardest things that women can endure. Most women affected by this end up taking days off of work but are not always compensated for the lost time. They often lose opportunities to move up in the workplace or fall behind in their job.
If women are compensated for when they have a child, why shouldn’t they be when they lose one? There is a mourning period that comes with miscarriage and society has left that out of the discussion.
Not only would pay medical leave for women who have miscarried make them feel understood and supported, but there is also a sense of safety. Women already have to fight for respect in the workplace as is, so offering paid leave would ensure them financial and job security for the time they’ve missed.
After they have just endured such trauma, it is important for the women to know there is still stability in their lives.

New Zealand has risen to the occasion requiring employers to offer a three-day paid medical leave for women who have miscarriages. It is time for the world to start talking about the effects of miscarriage on women. Every woman everywhere should have access to a paid medical leave in their time of need. We should be more like New Zealand.