The new Population Law passed by the National Assembly adds many policies to maintain replacement fertility. Notably, female workers with second children are proposed to extend maternity leave to 7 months; families with 2 or more children are also given priority when buying social housing.
Receiving this information, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (Tien Loc commune, Hanoi) expressed her excitement and hoped that the policies would soon be put into practice. Working as a worker in Bac Thang Long Industrial Park for more than 8 years, currently pregnant with her second child, Ms. Thuy believes that extending maternity leave will help postpartum women recover their health and take better care of their young children.
In addition, the need for accommodation is also a big concern for her. Currently, Ms. Thuy is waiting to submit an application to buy CT3 social housing: "For workers like us, buying a commercial house is almost impossible because the price is too high. The demand for social housing is very high, so access is not easy. I hope that with practical needs and new policies of the Population Law, my family will have more priority points to soon stabilize our housing".
Sharing the same expectation, Ms. Hoang Thi Giang (Hanoi) believes that expanding maternity benefits is necessary because many women after giving birth fall into a state of stress and depression.
"Giving female workers 7 months of maternity leave and male workers 10 days off when their wives give birth is reasonable, helping women have more time to recover, while creating conditions for husbands to share the responsibility of taking care of the family. In addition, I hope the Population Law also needs to supplement propaganda, consultation, and psychological support programs for postpartum women" - Ms. Giang said.
From the expectations of workers, it can be seen that the new policies in the Population Law are touching the real needs for health, psychology and housing of young families. However, to create a sustainable motivation to have children, the important thing is not only the regulation on paper, but also the implementation synchronously, transparently and to the right subjects, helping workers truly feel the support when deciding to have and raise children.
