An Exploratory Study on the Maternity Leave Policy and Normative Discrimination in the Greater Male’ Region

Abstract

Literature has contemplated the discourse regarding discrimination against working mothers in the workplace from various angles. While contemporary studies consider the implications of maternity-related policies, this has not been studied locally. This study aims to identify if and how working mothers in the Maldives face normative discrimination due to the maternity leave policy, the motherhood penalties which ensue, and its contribution to the maternal wall, through the lens of patriarchal ideologies and gender roles. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 working mothers between the ages of 25 to 40 who have had at least one child after the maternity leave policy for civil servants was revised in 2019. A thematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of the maternity leave policy for civil servants. The findings of this study demonstrate that preconceived gender stereotypes and patriarchal ideologies motivates a cycle of discrimination.