Sports News | New FIFA Rules to Protect Female Players' Maternity Rights
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Female soccer players should soon get their maternity rights protected under new employment rules announced Thursday by FIFA.
Geneva, Nov 19 (AP) Female soccer players should soon get their maternity rights protected under new employment rules announced Thursday by FIFA.
The governing body of soccer is preparing to mandate clubs to allow at least 14 weeks of maternity leave paid at a minimum two-thirds of a player's full salary. National soccer bodies can insist on more generous terms.
“Her club will be under an obligation to reintegrate her into football activity and provide adequate ongoing medical support,” FIFA said.
Any club that ended a player's contract for becoming pregnant faces having to pay compensation and a fine, and being banned from the transfer market for one year.
“The idea is to protect female players before, during and after childbirth,” FIFA chief legal officer Emilio Garcia said on a conference call.
The move is seen as a key step in professionalizing women's soccer — and respecting players' family lives — after a successful 2019 World Cup and more investment by elite clubs in having a women's team.
United States forward Alex Morgan, a World Cup winner last year, signed with Tottenham in September, four months after giving birth to her first child. She played her first game this month.
The rules are expected to be approved by the FIFA Council next month and would take effect on Jan. 1.
Although FIFA's judicial bodies have not been presented with contract disputes over maternity rights, Garcia targeted getting ahead of potential problems in the fast-growing women's game.
“We think these rules are part of common sense,” he said of the move, which follow International Labor Organization standards on compensating maternity leave.
At least eight weeks of the 14-week minimum maternity leave must be after the player gives birth. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)