Discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, denial of maternity leave and lack of conducive environment for nursing mother in the workplace in South Africa

In South Africa, women continue to be discriminated against on the grounds of being pregnant in the workplace and sometimes they are denied maternity leave, breastfeeding and childcare facilities. Methodologically, using a descriptive and content analysis research approach, this article examines how the apartheid era restricted the rights of pregnant women in the workplace, particularly black African women. Post-1994 South Africa, the article utilised various protective transformative legal and policy interventions that have been introduced and are being implemented to address the problem of discrimination against women on the grounds of pregnancy in the workplace.

A case report highlights the neglect problem of pregnancy denial

Pregnancy denial was observed in a patient after her second delivery. Contrary to the first pregnancy, she denied weight gain, body changes and baby movements. She reported using a contraceptive pill throughout the entire pregnancy. After a short home delivery without assistance, she was admitted to obstetrical department and referred for psychiatric evaluation. Mrs. T. accepted psychiatric follow-up appointments and was followed up for 6 months. She was initially assessed using the SCID II Interview, beck anxiety and depression interview, WHOQOL (WHO quality of life), and childhood trauma questionnaire. She denied pregnancy concealment and during the period of assessment and follow-up there was no evidence of intimate partner violence. Her female newborn was healthy without consequences of oestrogen/progesteron absorption (hypoplastic left heart syndrome, gastroschisis, hypospadias or congenital urinary trait anomalies) in one year follow up. The patient was discharged after 6 months of clinical outpatient follow-up. This case stresses and emphasizes the health and risk outcomes for both mother and child linked to an underestimated but serious phenomenon such as the denial of pregnancy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.