TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Legislators and civic groups urged the swift legalization of "prenatal preparation leave" (生產準備假) on Wednesday (Nov. 6) to address Taiwan's declining birth rate.
Hsu Shu-hui (徐書慧), chair of the Birth Empowerment Alliance of Taiwan (BEAT, 生產改革行動聯盟), stated that a 2023 survey revealed that most expectant families in Taiwan did not attend prenatal courses, with inadequate leave being a primary reason.
Meimi Chung (鍾秀靈), an internationally certified lactation consultant, emphasized that families who prepare during pregnancy adapt more quickly to newborn care challenges and communicate more effectively as couples.
Chyn Yu-rung (覃玉蓉), secretary-general of the Awakening Foundation (婦女新知基金會), highlighted the importance of prenatal companionship and education in providing new parents with peace of mind and accurate parenting knowledge, expressing hope for the successful amendment of the law.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) Legislator Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城) and others recently proposed an amendment to Article 15 of the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法).
The proposal aims to merge pregnancy checkup leave and pregnancy checkup accompaniment leaves into "prenatal preparation leave" while expanding its scope of application. The amendment seeks to extend the leave duration from the original seven days to nine days to prevent the compression of existing leave.
