New Zealand parliament has approved a new law that will permit the couple who have miscarriage or stillbirth for paid bereavement leave instead of sick leave.The new law will allow mothers and their partners to “come to terms with their losses” without taking a sick leave, said MP Ginny Andersen, who put forward the bill on Thursday.

“The bill also applies to those having a child through adoption,” she also said.The legislation – unanimously passed in parliament – provides “three days of bereavement leave”, Ginny Andersen informed the media.

“One in for women in New Zealand have has a miscarriage,” she told the media, hoping that the new provision would give them time for overcoming their loss without taking sick leave.

“Their grief is not an illness, it is loss. And loss takes time,” said MP Ginny Andersen, adding that New Zealand was leading the way for progressive and compassionate legislation.

It is to be mentioned that the New Zealand parliament passed an amendment bill a year ago that “decriminalized abortion” and allowed women to choose a termination up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy. New Zealand is the second country in the world to introduce the measure after India.

Source: BBC