On Thursday evening, the German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, enacted a law that broadens maternity leave protections for women who experience a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy.
With a significant majority supporting the bill, lawmakers emphasized its importance in assisting women during the challenging process of both physical and emotional recovery, as articulated by Sarah Lahrkamp, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The legislation emerged from a cross-party consensus, with two nearly identical proposals under consideration. The parliamentary committee opted to proceed with the version put forward by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU).
Currently, German law provides women with paid maternity leave starting six weeks prior to childbirth and continuing for eight weeks after delivery. However, this entitlement has not extended to women who experience a miscarriage.
Key Changes Introduced by the New Law
Under the previous framework, women who encountered a miscarriage prior to the 24th week of pregnancy were required to actively seek medical leave, often leaving them uncertain about their eligibility.
The revised regulation allows women who experience a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy the option to take maternity leave, without compelling them to do so if they do not wish to take it.
The Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house of parliament, is set to discuss this law on February 14. If approved, it could be implemented as early as June 1 of this year.
Approximately 6,000 miscarriages are estimated to occur in Germany each year between the 13th and 24th weeks of pregnancy. Conversely, the majority of instances (around 84,000) transpire before the 12th week, which is not encompassed by the new maternity leave provisions.
