Paid leave for new mothers protects women’s long-term job security says PhD candidate at the Key Centre for Women's Health, University of Melbourne and Research Fellow at the Parenting Research Centre Dr Amanda Cooklin.

“Relieving mothers of some of the entrenched labour market disadvantage that commonly begins during childbearing, and has ongoing implications for lifetime earnings,” she says.

“We cannot overstate the importance and the urgency of introducing this scheme promptly – as under the Labour Government proposal – our research has demonstrated that a lack of access to maternity entitlements is associated with worse mental health for women, and has implications for the mother-infant relationship including shorter breastfeeding duration.”

“This is entirely consistent with emerging Australian evidence about this, and there is no excuse for delaying this scheme for a further 18 months.”

Dr Amanda Cooklin, PhD candidate at the Key Centre for Women's Health, University of Melbourne and Research Fellow at the Parenting Research Centre.