The State Duma will introduce a law on leaving for maternity leave at any term of pregnancy

State Duma deputies from the faction "Fair Russia - For Truth" are going to introduce a bill in the chamber, according to which women will be allowed to go on maternity leave at any term of pregnancy. This is reported by "RIA Novosti" on February 18.

In the press service of the party said that the relevant bill will be submitted to the State Duma on Tuesday. The project is introduced in fulfillment of the proposals of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

"The present draft federal law proposes to provide early maternity leave to pregnant women from the moment they are registered at a women's counseling center," the explanatory note says.

It is reported that doctors recommend that women register for pregnancy up to 12 weeks, preferably in the first trimester, which corresponds to seven to nine obstetric weeks. According to the authors of the initiative, early registration, in the first trimester of pregnancy, and early granting of maternity leave will allow timely diagnosis, take measures to preserve pregnancy, predict potential complications and minimize them, identify women in need of hospitalization and ensure their recovery.

"During the Christmas parliamentary meetings in the State Duma, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill made an absolutely correct proposal - to extend maternity leave to the first trimester of pregnancy. Our faction proposes to expand and legislate this initiative," said party leader Sergei Mironov.

According to him, amendments have been developed that will allow expectant mothers to go on maternity leave virtually at any term, with the payment of maternity benefits.

In addition, Mironov said that under the initiative, maternity leave will be provided at the request of a woman and on the basis of the issued disability certificate from the moment of registration in the women's consultation, and the termination dates of the leave remain the same.

"We understand that not all women will want to go on early maternity leave, especially since it is more profitable to receive salaries than benefits. But the state should give future moms such an opportunity," - said Mironov.

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Before that, February 12, the chairman of the Duma Committee on Family Protection, Paternity, Maternity and Childhood, Nina Ostanina, supported the idea to extend paid maternity leave up to three years. According to her, this topic is raised in connection with the state's interest in increasing the birth rate.