While North Korean law guarantees maternity leave, many women prefer returning to work soon after giving birth. New mothers are unable to take full advantage of these benefits for various reasons, including the need to make a living.
“While socialist labor law guarantees maternity leave both before and after birth, women with well-paid jobs often return to work just 10-15 days after giving birth. The thing is they need to keep working to survive,” a source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Sunday.
Article 66 of North Korea’s labor law provides a total of 240 days (eight months) of leave for new mothers, including 60 days (two months) before delivery and 180 days (six months) afterward. These regulations apply equally to all working women, regardless of how long they’ve been on the job.
But depending on their occupation and workplace, North Korean women often return to work early, without using all their legally guaranteed maternity leave, either by choice or under pressure from management.
According to the source, women in lucrative jobs with extra income streams or other advantages commonly give up their available time off.
“Women at factories or farms often use their leave, but women with more attractive jobs are afraid of losing their positions if they stay away for too long. That includes workers at state security cafeterias, who can count on regular leftovers, and bookkeepers at trading companies and other businesses that handle imports,” the source said.
“Accounting and bookkeeping positions aren’t offered to just anybody, and if managers choose a replacement, women may find it impossible to return to their positions after maternity leave. That’s why women in those positions are often anxious to return to work soon after childbirth,” the source added.
According to the source, a woman with a cafeteria job for a state security department in a North Hamgyong province county was back on the job just ten days after giving birth.
Given the numerous financial advantages of such a job, the woman rushed back to work. She simply couldn’t afford to give her body enough time to recover from pregnancy. Whenever her baby is hungry, her mother brings it to the cafeteria for her to nurse.
Under such circumstances, women at undesirable jobs are typically the ones who use their full maternity leave. But even those women don’t feel comfortable resting, and many of them find ways to make money during their time off, such as by running a marketplace stall.
“Some people give up their maternity leave to keep their jobs, while others use maternity leave as an excuse to sell goods at market. The reality is that women here can’t afford to get the rest they need or look after their health,” the source said.
