UAE: Longer maternity leave, less working hours could help improve fertility rate
UAE citizens and residents shared their concerns about excessive work hours and maternity leave duration plus social media problems and healthcare expenses during their virtual appearance at the Federal National Council on Thursday.
The Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the FNC hosted a session that drew approximately 100 attendees from doctors to researchers to specialists to parents and community members.
Mothers explain how long work hours reduce their family time and affect their mental and physical well-being during maternity leave along with their wish to become pregnant.
People talked about how they need more family support to create stable homes and deal with money problems. Specialists pointed out that social media and media coverage of marriage create a negative influence that makes people avoid marriage and childrearing.
Doctors explained that women need treatment for thyroid problems and other pre-marriage health issues which delay their ability to get pregnant after marriage.
The Federal National Council's members came to learn about this important subject as it engages top officials and leaders who want to hear from citizens about their thoughts and difficulties with this topic.
Addressing the attendees, FNC member Naema Al Sharhan said at the start of the online consultation: Our purpose at FNC is to deliver your feedback to the government and examine official documents.
She explained that the meeting had two essential purposes. Our main objective is to explore what influences fertility rates across different areas of life. Our goal is to suggest ways that can boost the UAE's birth rate.
Initiatives supporting families
The UAE launched multiple new programs to help families through different initiatives. The UAE government set up the Ministry for Family Affairs along with offering extra maternity leave in Abu Dhabi and running a specific program in Dubai.
Many mothers feel they cannot expand their families because of their work-life balance issues and increasing living costs along with parenting difficulties.
Dubai resident Fatima Al Zarouni believes women avoid having more children because of their extended work schedules. Public sector workers receive up to 90 days of maternity leave but private sector workers are limited to 60 days.
She urges private sector employers to support working mothers through shorter workdays and work-from-home options plus extended maternity leave.
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