The bereavement allowance passed unanimously in parliament late on Wednesday. Getty
The bereavement allowance passed unanimously in parliament late on Wednesday. Getty
The bereavement allowance passed unanimously in parliament late on Wednesday. Getty
The bereavement allowance passed unanimously in parliament late on Wednesday. Getty

New Zealand approves paid leave after miscarriage or stillbirth


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New Zealand's parliament passed legislation on Thursday to give parents the right to paid leave after a miscarriage or stillbirth, becoming only the second country to do so.

The bereavement allowance, passed unanimously in parliament late on Wednesday, gives employees three days' leave when a pregnancy ends with a stillbirth without having to use sick leave.

"The passing of this bill shows that, once again, New Zealand is leading the way for progressive and compassionate legislation, becoming only the second country in the world to provide leave for miscarriage and stillbirth,” said Labour Party MP Ginny Andersen, who initiated the bill.

"The bill will give women and their partners time to come to terms with their loss without having to tap into sick leave. Because their grief is not a sickness, it is a loss. And loss takes time."

The leave provisions apply to mothers and their partners, as well as those planning to adopt a child or use a surrogacy, she said.

One in four New Zealand women have had a miscarriage, Ms Andersen said in her statement.

India is the only other country with similar legislation.

New Zealand was the first country in the world to give voting rights to women.

The ruling centre-left Labour government is led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is seen as a global champion for women. Her government last year passed a historic law to decriminalise abortion.

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if you go

The flights

Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.

The hotel

Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850

 Events and tours

There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com

For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art. 

More information

For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com

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