Maternity Law Legislations in India: A Contextual Discussion

As women’s participation in the labour force has kept on growing, the questions about equitable employment opportunities have been raised. However, these equitable opportunities are not a single parametric function. Instead, there are many variables interacting multidimensionally and eventually resulting in different realized outcomes. The present study is an attempt to contextualize the specific aspects of maternity leaves in the context of India. The study reviews diverse relevant literature and utilizes the Eisenhardt method to anchor the analysis. The outcomes of the study validate the fact that the existing maternity law legislations in India are weak, hampering women labour force participation in India. It is simultaneously validated that one of the significant and fundamental reasons behind the developmental lag of India is rooted in these weak legislations. The study concludes by recommending some immediate policy interventions.