Maternity Action

Maternity Action has prepared a general briefing on the Children and Family Bill and a more detailed briefing on the breastfeeding on return to work.

Maternity Action called for an urgent investigation into pregnancy discrimination in our submission to the UK Parliamentary inquiry into Women in the Workplace.

Maternity Action has prepared a briefing on the cuts to maternity payments in the 2012 Autumn Statement.

Sheila Lawlor of Politeia has commented on maternity rights and suggests scrapping maternity pay. Maternity Action responds to this here.

A video of Maternity Action's free seminar, 'Maternity, paternity and parental leave reforms: the health and equality impacts' is available. The presentations are also available. The seminar took place on Thursday 25^th October 2012.

Maternity Action has released an information sheet on maternity and parental rights for apprentices.

Support Valuing Maternity, our new campaign to defend maternity rights and protect maternity services.

The Government has decided not to restrict access to the Care to Learn scheme providing childcare to teenage parents in education, after influencing work by Maternity Action, Daycare Trust and others.

Maternity Action has released an information sheet for agency workers on maternity and parental rights. This outlines new rights for agency workers who have worked for 12 continuous weeks.

The Women's Health and Equality Consortium and Maternity Action have produced Guidance on commissioning health services for vulnerable migrant women.

Maternity Action has put the reports of the 2005 Equal Opportunities Commission investigation into pregnancy discrimination on the web.

The Women's Equality Network is now online.  The network provides online peer to peer support for women facing discrimination in the workplace and operates as a safe forum where they can share their experiences.

Maternity Action signed a joint letter calling on the Prime Minister to reconsider plans for a three-year freeze on child benefit and the introduction of a claw-back from households with a higher rate taxpayer.

Maternity Action argued against the introduction of fees and for specific mitigation for pregnant women and new mothers in our response to the Ministry of Justice consultation on charging fees in employment tribunals.

Maternity Action is organising some study days for midwives and other healthcare workers on 'Improving Care for Refugees and Asylum Seekers' and 'Working with Vulnerable Migrant Women', in 2013. Please see our Maternity Action Training website for further details. If you wish to commission Maternity Action to run Study Days at your establishment, please e-mail helenbeecherbryant@maternityaction.org.uk for further details.

Maternity Action has produced a Spanish language guide to pregnancy and maternity rights. The information sheet was produced with support from the Trade Union Congress.

Maternity Action is delighted that the UK Border Agency has now extended the timeframes for asylum seeking women to apply for maternity grants. Women in receipt of Section 95 support can now apply from eight weeks before the birth until six weeks after the birth, rather than four weeks before and two weeks after. This will mean fewer women miss out on this important support. Maternity Action is continuing to campaign for improvement in support for asylum seeking women.

The Women's Health and Equality Consortium (WHEC) is inviting women's organisations working in health and social care to join their network. Maternity Action is one of the seven consortium partners and actively supports WHEC's work to increase the voice of women and girls within Government and strengthen capacity of the sector.

Maternity Action has launched an affiliation programme for trade unions. Ask your union to join up and support our campaign to improve the lives of pregnant women, new mothers and their families.

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