The Institute for Human Rights (formerly the Equal Treatment Commission) initiates a poll:'Pregnant and Work:regular or hassle'. Via the website www.zwangerenwerk.nl , the College offers women an outlet for problems with the employer regarding pregnancy. In addition, women can test whether they have experienced discrimination and the Institute provides information on this subject. Research into discrimination against pregnant women by the College in 2012 showed that more than 45% of working women have negative experiences with pregnancy in relation to work. Figures from the Institute's annual report for 2012 also show that pregnancy discrimination is common. The number of statements about this has increased by 60% compared to the previous year.
Laurien Koster, president of the Institute:“It is the task of the Institute to provide information about human rights and to put them on the agenda. Protection against pregnancy discrimination is a human right. You should not be disadvantaged at work because you are pregnant.” According to Koster, the scale of the problem is large. “There is a lot of ignorance among women:many women indicate that they have a negative experience about a job and pregnancy, but are not aware that it is discrimination.”
The figures in the annual report show that pregnancy discrimination is common. More statements (increase of 60%) have been made about pregnancy discrimination than in previous years. Every year, more than 65,000 women experience discrimination because of their pregnancy or young motherhood. Laurien Koster:“Women's rights are an important theme for the Institute, because equal rights for women in the Netherlands are still not a reality. This is apparent not only from the figures, but also from the attention paid to the subject. This topic will also be high on our agenda in 2013”.
The situations outlined in the online campaign are common, but not always as recognizable as discrimination. For example, the supervisor monitors the performance of the employee more critically.
Clear examples of discrimination include:
Pregnancy discrimination is treating a woman negatively when applying for a job or at work because of her pregnancy, early motherhood or the desire to have children. Other common forms of discrimination against women in the workplace are unequal pay and limited advancement to higher positions.
What we are curious about…. If you read the above and now think about it, have you suffered from pregnancy discrimination?
