{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-post-query-tsx","path":"/blog-post/maternity-benefits-not-yet-universal/","result":{"pageContext":{"post":{"slug":"/blog-post/maternity-benefits-not-yet-universal/","title":"Maternity benefits - not yet universal","date":"Mar 01, 2017","timeToRead":2,"description":"At the start of the new year, we were excited to see forward momentum on the national maternity entitlements program: the prime minister announced that the program would be made universal and cover all districts beginning January 1st, 2017 (up from the 52 pilot districts in the current IGMSY pilot program).","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Maternity benefits - not yet universal\",\n  \"date\": \"2017-03-01\",\n  \"template\": \"post\",\n  \"slug\": \"maternity-benefits-may-move-even-further-away-from-universalization\",\n  \"postedLink\": \"https://riceinstitute.org/blog/maternity-benefits-may-move-even-further-away-from-universalization/\",\n  \"description\": \"At the start of the new year, we were excited to see forward momentum on the national maternity entitlements program: the prime minister announced that the program would be made universal and cover all districts beginning January 1st, 2017 (up from the 52 pilot districts in the current IGMSY pilot program).\",\n  \"tags\": \"Blog Post\",\n  \"banner\": \"pregnant-woman.jpg\"\n};\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"At the start of the new year, we were excited to see forward momentum on the national maternity entitlements program: the prime minister announced that the program would be made universal and cover all districts beginning January 1st, 2017 (up from the 52 pilot districts in the current IGMSY pilot program).\\xA0 Additionally, an expanded budget allocation of 2,700 crore, up from approximately 433 crore last year, was announced a few weeks ago. Even though this amount falls far below what women are actually owed under the law, it was still heartening to see that the government was making plans to reach more women.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"However, an Indian Express \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://indianexpress.com/article/india/not-enough-funds-govt-to-limit-maternity-benefit-to-first-child-only-4530927/\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"article\"), \" last week reported that in the face of insufficient funding, the Ministry of Women and Child Development may limit maternity entitlements to only a woman\\u2019s first birth, instead of covering all births, which is what is mandated by law.\\xA0 Limiting the transfer to the first birth will prevent many children from benefiting from this transfer.\\xA0 Setting a one-child limit now could set an exclusionary precedent that may be difficult to change later.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In addition to this potential new limit, \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"https://scroll.in/pulse/830163/modi-governments-rebranded-maternity-benefits-schemes-has-no-map-for-improvement-reduces-coverage\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"this article\"), \" in Scroll yesterday covered many of the other problems with the maternity benefits program, including payment delays which have plagued the program since the beginning.\\xA0 In the article, Diane is quoted discussing the potential that the benefit can have in improving a mother\\u2019s nutrition and birth outcomes if given without delays, and as early in pregnancy as possible: \\u201CIn order for \", \"[\", \"the transfer\", \"]\", \" to have a good effect, it will be essential for the government to give women the first transfer very quickly upon registration of the pregnancy, and to train health workers to educate women that the purpose of the transfer is to promote weight gain in pregnancy.\\u201D\\xA0 Unfortunately, in talking with women in Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, Diane saw that none of the women were receiving any of the money during pregnancy.\\xA0 \\xA0Dipa Sinha of the Right to Food Campaign, who has also documented widespread payment delays in other districts and states, further discusses how the new exclusion will likely leave out the women most in need of nutritional support in pregnancy.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The funding shortfall and one-child limits are disheartening. When signs were finally pointing to expansion of the program four years after the law mandating maternity entitlements was passed, it seems that the program may leave out many babies.\\xA0 We hope that that the \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/The-case-for-going-universal/article14010402.ece\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"government makes a full effort\"), \" to come into compliance with the law by deciding against limits on the number of children the program can be applied to, allocating additional funds in the near future to truly reach universalization, and addressing the massive delays that plague current implementation.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","tags":[{"name":"Blog Post","slug":"blog-post"}],"banner":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"src":"/static/39906af284db82afd712ba091bdc0753/29765/pregnant-woman.jpg","srcSet":"/static/39906af284db82afd712ba091bdc0753/55357/pregnant-woman.jpg 200w,\n/static/39906af284db82afd712ba091bdc0753/29765/pregnant-woman.jpg 500w,\n/static/39906af284db82afd712ba091bdc0753/1f218/pregnant-woman.jpg 1000w","aspectRatio":2.5,"sizes":"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px","base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"}}}}}},"staticQueryHashes":["318001574","3787687951","3787687951"]}