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Maternity Leave (maternity + leave)
Selected AbstractsVladimir Putin on Raising Russia's Birth RatePOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Article first published online: 26 JUN 200 The total fertility rate in what is now the Russian Federation has been below replacement level during much of the last 40 years. By the late 1990s it was barely above 1.2 children per woman. There may have been some recovery since: the United Nations estimate for 2000,05 is 1.33. Other reports set the 2004 rate at 1.17. Countries elsewhere in Europe have fertility levels that are equally low or even lower, but the Russian demographic predicament is aggravated by mortality that is exceptionally high by modern standards. Thus, despite large-scale net immigration (mostly due to return of ethnic Russians from other republics of the former Soviet Union), the population in the last decade-and-a-half has been shrinking: of late by some 700,000 persons per year. The United Nations medium estimate assumes a steady recovery of the total fertility rate to reach a level of 1.85 by 2050 and a considerable improvement in survival rates during that period,notably an increase in male life expectancy at birth of more than ten years. It also assumes further modest net immigration at a steady rate, amounting to a total of somewhat over 2 million by midcentury. Under these stipulations the projected population of Russia in 2050 would be 112 million,some 31 million below its present size. By that time, 23 percent of the population would be aged 65 and older. The government's concern with the demographic situation of the country and its intent to improve it have been manifest in various official statements, notably in the annual State of the Nation Address given by the president to the Federal Assembly (or State Duma). Formerly a subordinate theme (see the Documents item in the June 2005 issue of PDR), the issue constituted the centerpiece of the 2006 Address, delivered on 10 May in the Kremlin by President Vladimir Putin. Policies regarding health and mortality were given short shrift in the speech,road safety, bootleg alcohol, and cardiovascular diseases being singled out as areas of special concern. The president's remarks on immigration are of greater interest: immigration of skilled persons is to be encouraged. They must be educated and law-abiding and must treat the country's culture and national tradition with respect. The main focus of the address, however, was on the birth rate and policies to be introduced to raise it. (The need for an "effective demographic policy" as seen from the Kremlin was of course also voiced in the later stages of the Soviet era. See, for example, the excerpts from the addresses delivered by then Party Chairman Leonid Brezhnev and Premier Nikolai Tikhonov to the 26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in February 1981 that appear in the Documents item in the June 1981 issue of PDR.) In detail and specificity, and also in terms of the economic cost of the measures envisaged, Putin's speech is without parallel in addressing population policy matters by a head of state in Europe. The demo graphically relevant portion of the address is reproduced below in the English translation provided by the website of the president's office «http://www.kremlin.ru/eng». Calling Russia's demographic situation "the most acute problem facing our country today," Putin terms its causes as "well known," but lists only economic factors, presumably because these, at least in principle, lend themselves to remedial measures that the Russian government, its coffers now swollen with petrodollars, should be able to provide. His starkly economic interpretation of the problem of low fertility (in Russia apparently taking the form of convergence to a single-child pattern) may be overly optimistic. Causes of electing to have only one child may lie deeper than those Putin names: low incomes, inadequate housing, poor-quality health care and inadequate educational opportunities for children, and even lack of food. Putin's proposed policies to attack these problems in part consist of a major upgrading of existing child care benefits: to 1,500 roubles a month for the first child and 3,000 roubles for the second. The latter amount is roughly equivalent to US$113, a significant sum given Russian income levels. Maternity leave for 18 months at 40 percent of the mother's previous wage (subject to a ceiling) and compensation for the cost of preschool childcare round out the basic package proposed. Benefits are to be parity-dependent, highlighting the pronatalist intent of the measures. Thus the child benefit for the second child is to be twice as large as for the first, and payment for preschool childcare is to cover 20 percent of parental costs for the first, 50 percent for the second, and 70 percent for the third child. Putin mentions "young families" as recipients, but the payments are clearly directed to mothers. (Even the usually obligatory reference to western European,style paternity leave is missing.) The most innovative element of the proposed measures, however, is support for women who have a second birth. The state should provide such women (not the child, as called for in some European precedents) "with an initial maternity capital that will raise their social status and help resolve future problems." Citing expert opinion, Putin says that such support "should total at least 250,000 roubles [about $9,300] indexed to annual inflation." Evidently assuming, optimistically, that there will be many takers, Putin says that carrying out all these plans will require not only a lot of work but also "an immense amount of money." The measures are to be launched starting January 2007. [source] Integrating evidence-based practice into the diabetes nurse curriculum in BergenEUROPEAN DIABETES NURSING, Issue 1 2010Perceived barriers to finding, reading, using research in practice Abstract Background: There is rising international interest in developing healthcare systems that are built on the basis of best evidence. However, it is a challenge to integrate evidence-based practice skills into existing educational courses, in a manner that enables students to interpret and use such skills effectively. Aims: To study students' abilities to find, read and critique research literature and to explore students' perceptions of barriers to implementing evidence-based knowledge and skills into their practice. Methods: An evidence-based approach was integrated into the curriculum of a postgraduate diabetes education programme. At the start of the course and after its completion, questionnaire data were collected to assess students' ability to find, read and critique research literature, and students' perceptions of barriers to implementing new knowledge and skills into practice. Qualitative data on barriers to transferring evidence into practice were also collected. Results: Thirty-three experienced nurses (all female), mean age 40 years (SD 7.7; range 28,52 years), mean work experience 12.8 years (SD 7.9; range 3,30 years) attended the course and completed the initial questionnaire. By the end of the course, three students (9%) had left because of maternity leave or health issues, and six students (18%) did not return the final questionnaires. The remaining students reported greater ability to find and critique research literature (increasing respectively from 6.7% to 40.0% and from 27.3% to 41.7% during the course). Perceived barriers of using research in practice were: lack of time (69.7%); workplace environment (30.4%); structural and organisational problems (25.0%). The qualitative findings indicated that hierarchy, fear of negative judgements, competing demands, and fear of change were perceived barriers. Conclusion: Students commented that the course had provided them with enhanced evidence-based practice skills for finding and interpreting research. However, postgraduate training should be linked very closely to the student's workplace, in order to support the transfer of best evidence into practice. Copyright © 2010 FEND [source] Pregnancy and maternity leave: employment law as a family friend?INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2000Paul Lewis Law seeking to provide protection for pregnant workers has proved to be complex and uncertain. This article aims to examine the legislation , recently amended , and case law and to assess their effectiveness. The conclusion is that a coherent scheme is emerging but that the level of maternity pay remains problematic. [source] Laws and policies to support the wellbeing of children: an international comparative analysisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 1 2010Emily J. Nicklett Nicklett EJ, Perron BE. Laws and policies to support the wellbeing of children: an international comparative analysis Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 3,7 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. The international community has raised concerns regarding the extent to which countries have implemented laws and policies to support the rights and wellbeing of children. This study evaluates the progress of least-developed countries (LDCs) and middle-income countries (MICs) in developing such legislation. Surveys were sent to 131 UNICEF country offices. Items included efforts to promote family preservation and family ties, family-based care over institutionalization, and child participation in placement decisions. A total of 68 surveys were returned, reflecting a 52 percent response rate (LDC, n= 25; MIC, n= 43). Legislation that addressed abuse and neglect of children, maternity leave, removal of children from the family, family care, adoption, and guardianship was widespread. Chi-square tests indicated that MICs had a substantially higher number of laws and policies related to child allowances, school feeding programs, maternity leave, and day care. [source] | ||||||||||