Why maternity leave in Hong Kong still has a long way to go before new mothers can cheer
Mothers need sufficient rest to recuperate from giving birth. Yet the length of the statutory maternity leave in Hong Kong had remained at 10 weeks for more than four decades.
It will allow mothers more time not just to recover physically from giving birth, but also to adjust to a new lifestyle. Mothers can now spend more time learning how to take care of their infants. Infants wake several times at night to feed. It would be too exhausting for mothers to attend to their needs throughout the night, and leave early in the morning for work.
Even if they did get to work, their productivity and efficiency would be affected because of fatigue. Therefore, it’s important that mothers get enough rest, for the sake of both their children and their performance at work.
A longer maternity leave will also give mother and child more time to bond.
In a nutshell, a longer maternity leave benefits both the mother’s recuperation and the child’s health.
For the sake of Hong Kong’s next generation, the government should catch up with these more generous practices.
Cindy Wong, Po Lam