Gender Equality in the Workplace: Are Pregnant Employees Still at Risk?

martinagvisionfact
Sep 5
4 min read

Updated: Sep 17

Introduction

Gender equality is a cornerstone of modern societies. However, pregnant women continue to face discrimination in the workplace. Despite laws protecting maternity rights, unfair dismissals, demotions, and non-renewals of contracts are still commonplace. Furthermore, the fear of losing their jobs leads many female workers to hide their pregnancies for as long as possible. As a result, the problem is not only one of individual rights, but also of corporate culture and human resources management practices.

The legislative context and existing protections

First of all, Italian and European legislation offer protection measures for pregnant workers. For example, the prohibition of dismissal from the beginning of pregnancy until one year after childbirth is enshrined in Legislative Decree 151/2001. In addition, there is compulsory and optional maternity leave, designed to protect the health of the mother and newborn. Similarly, the regulations provide for the possibility of changing job duties to reduce physical risks and stress.

However, legislation is not always sufficient to prevent discrimination. In actuality, many infractions occur indirectly, such as when someone does not receive a promotion or their fixed-term contract is not renewed after stating they are pregnant. Also, in some cases, companies follow the law formally but not in a way that really helps women, which still limits their responsibilities or opportunities.

So, protections only work if there are written rules, institutional oversight, and companies are willing to follow the law's spirit. In this manner, labor inspections and campaigns to raise awareness are very important. But if there isn't an open corporate culture, even the best laws might not be followed.

Subtle discrimination and unfair practices

In many cases, gender discrimination is not overt. For example, a pregnant woman may be excluded from strategic projects or training courses on the grounds of “lightening her workload.” However, these seemingly protective decisions compromise her professional growth and opportunities for advancement.

In addition, some employers assume that working mothers are less flexible, less willing to travel or relocate, and less willing to work overtime. As a result, implicit biases are created that influence performance evaluations. At the same time, companies with a heavy reliance on fixed-term contracts may choose not to renew those of pregnant women, effectively circumventing the ban on direct dismissal.

Therefore, the most difficult forms of discrimination to combat are informal ones, rooted in habits and mindsets. In fact, it is rare for a company to openly declare that it does not want to promote a pregnant employee; more often, generic reasons such as ‘lack of availability’ or ‘not being in line with company priorities’ are used. This makes it difficult to prove discriminatory behavior in court.

Impact on the health and well-being of female workers

Firstly, the psychological pressure associated with the fear of losing one's job can have profound effects on the emotional well-being of pregnant women. In fact, constant stress is associated with physical health risks, such as blood pressure problems or complications during pregnancy.

In addition, many female workers, for fear of appearing “less committed,” choose not to take full advantage of maternity leave. Some return to the office a few days after giving birth, putting their own health and that of their child at risk. As a result, the right exists but is not exercised for fear of negative consequences on their career.

At the same time, the lack of supportive company policies exacerbates the problem. Companies that do not offer reintegration programs or flexible working hours make it more difficult to manage the transition between work and motherhood. Therefore, providing opportunities for listening and internal counseling could prevent many situations of distress and reduce the impact of stress.

The role of businesses and society

Firstly, businesses have an ethical responsibility to ensure an inclusive and respectful environment. Well-designed diversity and inclusion policies not only protect female employees but also benefit the entire organization. Businesses that support mothers show that they care about their employees and their reputation goes up.

Also, having managers who know about gender equality can help stop people from acting in a discriminatory way. For instance, mentoring programs and training courses can help break down old stereotypes. However, cultural change takes time and constant effort.So, institutions and civil society need to be involved as well. Trade unions can help women protect their rights, and the media can help show women who are good role models for balancing work and motherhood. Gender equality is not only a goal of social justice, but it is also a way to help the economy grow in a way that lasts.

Conclusion

In short, even though there are better laws in place, pregnant workers are still at risk of being discriminated against. In fact, subtle discrimination, psychological pressure, and unfair business practices limit their full protection.

However, investing in inclusion policies and cultural change brings concrete benefits to both individuals and organizations. Therefore, the challenge is to transform laws into real behavior, eliminating prejudices and barriers. Only in this way can gender equality become a normal condition and not a goal to be pursued.