3 min readFeb 16, 2026 08:10 AM IST
First published on: Feb 16, 2026 at 08:10 AM IST
For decades, India has celebrated the academic brilliance of its women. They consistently top school boards, civil services, medical entrances, and university examinations. And yet, when we look at corporate boardrooms or senior decision-making spaces, their presence thins out sharply. Motherhood, for many women, is the point at which this quiet exit begins.
The Maternity Benefit Act, with its provision of six months of paid leave, is undeniably progressive and among the more generous protections globally. But no law can legislate the emotional reality of a new mother. Many return carrying guilt, anxiety, and exhaustion, and are seen as less reliable. A new mother needs reassurance both at home, where she must be encouraged to believe that seeking professional growth is not selfishness, and within her organisation, where she must feel confident that thinking about her child does not diminish her capability or commitment.
Although the Act extends to almost all wage-earning women except the self-employed, the quality of support they receive varies dramatically. A woman in a permanent government post enjoys not only maternity leave but access to long-term childcare leave of up to 730 days, with full pay for the first year and partial pay thereafter, providing her with a relatively structured path back into her career. In smaller private establishments, while employers may comply with the Act, this does not equate to acceptance. Many women return to find their responsibilities reassigned, their promotion prospects diminished, and their growth trajectory slowed. For the Act to succeed, empathy needs to be woven into organisational behaviour. Women need workplaces that believe ambition and motherhood can coexist with dignity.
One of the most significant barriers for new mothers is the lack of dependable, affordable childcare. Yet this challenge presents an extraordinary opportunity. Millions of unskilled and semi-skilled women in India are seeking employment. Through training, certification, and skilling modules, they can form a new, formalised workforce of caregivers. It has the potential to become a major employment generator for women and a critical support pillar for working mothers. Importantly, empowering one woman to work should not come at the cost of another’s exploitation.
In recent years, the rise of “DINK” (Double Income, No Kids) couples has often been portrayed as a lifestyle preference. But for many women, it is a choice born of fear of career stagnation and societal expectations that motherhood is a woman’s sole responsibility. While laws can protect wages and jobs, they cannot dictate how families behave. The burden of motherhood grows heavier when a woman is expected to project an image of “effortless coping” as she balances childcare and work pressure. Unless families and workplaces share this load, women will continue to drop out quietly, painfully, and permanently.
The writer is chairperson, National Commission for Women
