Maternity leave in India offers progress, with mixed results
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Summary
In 2025, the Supreme Court of India declared maternity leave a fundamental right for working women. India is among the countries in the world where pregnant women are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, which can be taken for up to two children. The move has been widely welcomed by women's rights advocates. But they emphasise that India still has a long way to go in ensuring the rights of working mothers. FRANCE 24's Navodita Kumari and Zubair Dar report.