Could Nepal’s new maternity bill backfire on women?

Representational image of a pregnant woman. Every few years, Nepal passes a law that sounds like a victory for women. Then a woman in a private office is told to be back at her desk within a month, and she does, not because the law says so but because she cannot afford to lose her job by refusing. The government has now registered the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights (First Amendment) Bill, 2026.

It would extend paid maternity leave from 98 days to at least six months for women in government, non-governmental and private organisations, and give fathers up to 42 days of paid maternity-care leave. It sounds like progress. Before we agree, one question needs an answer. How many women can claim the 98 days they already have?

The leave that exists on paper A new bill with stronger provisions can be reassuring. The country is moving forward, and the intention is good, so why scrutinise the details? Because intention has never enforced anything, and the record on implementing the laws already in place remains poor.