FIFA proposes mandatory maternity leave for women players
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[November 19, 2020]
By Simon Evans
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - FIFA is
to introduce new regulations to protect the rights of women players,
including mandatory maternity leave, world soccer's governing body
said on Thursday.
The reforms have been put forward by FIFA's Football Stakeholders
Committee (FSC) and will go to FIFA's Council next month for
approval.
While many players in Europe are already protected by employment law
in their given countries, FIFA says its aim is to create "new global
minimum standards" for female players all over the world, given the
rapid emergence of new clubs and leagues globally.
The proposed rules include a mandatory maternity leave of 14 weeks,
at a minimum of two thirds of the player's contracted salary and a
guarantee that "no female player should suffer a disadvantage as a
result of becoming pregnant".
The planned regulations also state that on their return to work after
maternity leave, clubs must "reintegrate female players and provide
adequate medical and physical support".
Women players' contractual rights were already covered by the existing
regulations for all footballers but the changes are a bid to address
specific concerns for female players and are viewed as a basic minimum
that can be applied in all countries.
"As we try to accelerate the professionalisation of the women's game,
which is one of our strategic objectives, it is really important that we
evolve and adapt the regulatory framework around the game at the same
time. This is a very good example," Sarai Bareman, FIFA's Chief Women's
Football Officer, told reporters.
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FIFA's logo is seen in
front of its headquarters during a foggy autumn day in Zurich,
Switzerland November 18, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
"We want to see more women being able to earn a living playing
football whilst at the same time being able to have a family life
and being mothers. It is important that we provide the necessary
regulatory framework to protect those women," she added.
The new regulations also seek to address problems for coaches
working internationally.
Until now coaches' contracts have been subject to the same
regulations as players but FIFA wants to introduce specific language
to deal with the rights of coaches.
"The aim is to protect contractual stability, achieve greater
transparency and make sure that coaches also get paid on time," FIFA
said in a statement.
(Reporting by Simon Evans, editing by Ed Osmond)
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