Labour pains: Lessons from South Africa for women employees and their employers

South African women make a substantive contribution to the South African workforce. Many may argue that there are more women in certain sectors than others, or more than there used to be 20 years ago. With the emergence of democracy, South African women have benefitted from progressive Labour Legislation or so it may seem. South African women have not yet reaped the rewards of such legislation. Women in the workplace are forced to relinquish their reproductive rights in return for an income. This paper unpacks maternity rights and the factors that mitigate maternity leave. These are the labour pains faced by many South African women.   Key words: Pregnancy, maternity leave, maternity rights.