Improving Maternity Protection and Creating a Family-Friendly Society in China
0-1 Original language
English
I-1 Name of the initiative
Improving Maternity Protection and Creating a Family-Friendly Society in China
I-2 Geographical coverage
CHN
I-2-A Region/country
China
I-2-R Region
Asia and the Pacific
I-2-T Geographical scope
Country
I-3-A Initiative start date
2023
I-4 Leading entity/organization
Government
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Employer and Business Membership Organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Workers' organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Private enterprise
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Social and solidarity economy (SSE) entities
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Civil society, including NGOs
I-6 Has the ILO been involved in the initiative?
Yes
I-7 Is there collaboration with other agencies of the United Nations System or other partners?
Yes
II-1 Justification of the initiative
China is facing a significant demographic challenge, with its total fertility rate dropping to just 1.09 children per woman in 2022. This decline is driven by a combination of factors, including a shrinking population base, delayed marriage and childbearing, rising numbers of single and childless individuals, and broader economic and social pressures. These trends have made reversing the low fertility rate increasingly difficult. In response, the government has progressively moved away from family planning policies and introduced new measures—such as a childbirth subsidy system, family-friendly workplaces, and expanded tax relief for parents—to support families and promote a more family-friendly society amid this looming demographic crisis.
II-10 Focus on other branches of economic activity
No sectoral focus
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Micro enterprises
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Small enterprises
II-11 Focus on certain categories of enterprises or economic units according to their size
Not applicable
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employees
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Employers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Own-account workers
II-12 Focus on specific status in employment
Workers not classifiable by status
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Domestic workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Community health and care workers
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Childcare workers (for children ages 0-start of primary school)
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Nurses
II-13 Focus on other specific categories of workers and employers, not captured elsewhere
Other specific category of workers not captured elsewhere
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Men
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Mothers
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Fathers
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Persons with other care responsibilities
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Pregnant women
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Young people
II-14 Focus on specific groups of population / persons prioritized in the initiative
Other groups/persons
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, inter-institutional coordination mechanisms
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
The initiative aims to create an environment where everyone “respects and supports reproduction and workers with family responsibilities”, especially as the population rapidly ages. It expands income tax deductions for parents, promotes family-friendly workplaces, and includes assisted maternity services into the national insurance scheme. The directive is an attempt to integrate various support measures from local governments and establish a unified and nationwide system to support families. Specifically, the initiative aims to:Improve childbirth support services and expand the availability of childcare systems;Strengthen the protection of workers’ rights, particularly for women and parents;Support women’s employment through enhanced policy measures and vocational training, especially for mothers returning to the workforce;Encourage employers to implement family-friendly working arrangements, and to provide breastfeeding and childcare facilities;Extend maternity insurance coverage to flexible and new forms of employment, as well as rural migrant workers already enrolled in the urban workers’ medical insurance scheme;Ensure the enforcement of paid maternity and paternity leave policies at the local level;Establish a childbirth subsidy system and increase personal income tax reliefs related to family care responsibilities.
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Workplace initiative
II-4 Which of the Rs in the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work guides this initiative?
Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care
II-5 Which is the main policy area of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Care policies
II-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Labour Protection policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Design and implement integrated and coherent care policies and systems for decent work and gender equality
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Mainstream care into relevant public policies
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Addressing the unequal gender distribution of paid and unpaid work, and promoting women’s economic inclusion and autonomy beyond caregiving
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Comprehensive maternity protection and care leave and protection policies, including paternity, parental leave and long-term care leave
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Work-life balance policies and measures, including organization, time and location of work, and other terms and conditions of employment
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Universal social protection systems that provide adequate protection to care workers and recognize unpaid care work
II-7 Which policies or measures to advance decent work in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Invest in and make available high-quality, affordable, adequate and accessible care services, including childcare, health care and long-term care
II-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Unpaid carers (workers or persons with care responsibilities, parents, other family members, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
As part of a broader stimulus package to revive the economy, the Chinese central government launched a childbirth encouragement programme with an annual budget ranging from 250 to 500 billion yuan. This initiative has led to the expansion of parental leave policies across most provinces—extending maternity leave to 158 days, introducing 15 days of paternity leave, and offering 5 to 20 days of parental leave. Some local governments, such as Shangyou county in Jiangxi province, have introduced one-time cash incentives of 7,000 yuan for a second child and 13,000 yuan for a third. By 2025, the country aims to provide 4.5 childcare places per 1,000 people for children under age 3, adding 660,000 new universal childcare centres nationwide. In parallel, both government and private sector actors—particularly in the tech industry—have promoted flexible working arrangements for parents of children under 12, with many companies establishing breastfeeding and after-school childcare rooms.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
A key innovation of this initiative lies in its inclusive approach to maternity protection by extending coverage to workers in flexible and new forms of employment, as well as rural migrant workers—groups traditionally excluded from such benefits. By integrating these workers into the national maternity insurance scheme, the policy marks a significant shift from conventional employment-based protections to a more universal model. Additionally, the introduction of a childbirth subsidy system and enhanced personal income tax reliefs reflects a broader commitment to reducing the financial burden of care, thereby advancing decent work in the care economy through more equitable and supportive policy frameworks.
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
One of the main challenges remains that policy makers have weak awareness and understanding of the impact of encouraging childbirth policy on women’s employment. The financing sources for bearing the costs of paid maternity leave and paternity leave remain unsolved, though some local governments provide a one-time payment as an incentive to encourage childbirth. Additionally, monitoring mechanisms for effective implementation of the Directive are not clear.Through policy seminars and advocacy activities organised by tripartite constituents, policymakers have improved their understanding of the strong linkage between population/demographic policy and women’s employment.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
Lobbying and advocacy by social partners is key to integrate the promotion of family friendly workplaces into national Directives.
IV-3 Key conditions for success
Strong commitment and collaboration among tripartite constituents—governments, employers, and workers—are essential to drive policy reforms at both national and local levels. Their shared ownership and engagement ensure effective implementation and long-term impact.
IV-4 Key conditions for sustainability
Ongoing government leadership at all levels is critical, particularly in designing sustainable financing mechanisms for paid maternity and paternity leave. Broad-based support for care policies will help institutionalize and maintain these reforms.
IV-5 Potential for transferability, expansion and replicability in other countries and contexts
The initiative draws on a range of good practices that have already been collected and shared across different governance levels.
V-1 Sources of information and documents used on the characteristics of the initiative, including links to websites, news items, toolkits, policy documents or reports