18 August 2007

BELGIUM - More pregnant women are becoming the victim of discrimination report the Saturday editions of the dailies 'Het Belang van Limburg' and 'Gazet van Antwerpen'.

The newspapers report that the Institute for Equality Between Men and Women (IEBMW) received twice the number of reports of discrimination against expectant mums during last year as it did in 2006. The institute received 101 complaints about discrimination from pregnant women in 2007.

50 percent experienced discrimination in workplace
In one in seven cases, the discrimination suffered was directly linked to issues relating to pregnancy, giving birth or motherhood.

The IEBMW's Patrick Verraes told the papers that many employers simply ignore the host of laws aimed to protect the rights of pregnant women.

"They don't want to incur extra costs by taking on a replacement and assume that a woman with children is less focussed on her job."

The IEBMW was set up in 2004 to help combat sex discrimination.

So far this year the IEBMW has issued three summonses to employers that have contravened anti-discrimination legislation.

[flandersnews.be / Expatica]

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