Maternity protection entitlements for non-standard workers in low-and-middle-income countries and potential implications for breastfeeding practices: a scoping review of research since 2000
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC
Abstract
Background Recommended breastfeeding practices contribute to improved health of infants, young children, and
mothers. Access to comprehensive maternity protection would enable working women to breastfeed for longer.
Women working in positions of non-standard employment are particularly vulnerable to not accessing maternity
protection entitlements. The objective of this scoping review was to determine the current research conducted on
maternity protection available and accessible to non-standard workers in low-and-middle-income countries and any
potential implications for breastfeeding practices.
Methods Nine databases were searched using search terms related to maternity protection, non-standard employment,
and breastfeeding. Documents in English published between January 2000 and May 2021 were included. The
approach recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute was used to select sources, extract, and present data. The
types of participants included in the research were female non-standard workers of child-bearing age. The core concept
examined by the scoping review was the availability and access to comprehensive maternity protection entitlements
of pregnant and breastfeeding women. Research from low-and-middle-income countries was included. The
types of evidence sources were limited to primary research.
Results Seventeen articles were included for data extraction mainly from research conducted in Africa and Asia.
Research on maternity protection for non-standard workers mostly focused on childcare. Components of maternity
protection are inconsistently available and often inaccessible to women working in non-standard employment.
Inaccessibility of maternity protection was described to disrupt breastfeeding both directly and indirectly, but certain
characteristics of non-standard work were found to be supportive of breastfeeding.
Conclusions Published information on maternity protection for non-standard workers is limited. However, the available
information indicates that non-standard workers have inadequate and inconsistent access to maternity protection
Description
Keywords
Non-standard work, Maternity protection, Low-and-middle-income countries, Breastfeeding
Citation
Pereira-Kotze, C. et al. (2023). Maternity protection entitlements for non-standard workers in low-and-middle-income countries and potential implications for breastfeeding practices: A scoping review of research since 2000. International Breastfeeding Journal, 18(1) doi:10.1186/s13006-023-00542-8