Social insurance reforms for Maternity and Paternity benefits in Oman
0-1 Original language
English
I-1 Name of the initiative
Social insurance reforms for Maternity and Paternity benefits in Oman
I-2 Geographical coverage
OMN
I-2-A Region/country
Oman
I-2-R Region
Arab States
I-2-T Geographical scope
Country
I-3-A Initiative start date
2020
I-4 Leading entity/organization
Government
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Employer and Business Membership Organization
I-5 Collaborating entities/organizations
Workers' organization
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
The initiative addresses the need for a fairer and more sustainable system of maternity protection and parental leave. Under the previous model, working-age individuals who became parents had limited support and had to rely on employer-provided benefits. This system placed a financial burden on employers, was difficult to enforce, and contributed to discriminatory hiring practices—particularly against women. Employed women were entitled to only seven weeks of paid maternity leave, fully funded by employers, which discouraged the hiring of female candidates. Fathers were not entitled to any parental leave, reinforcing traditional gender roles and placing the responsibility of caregiving mainly on women.
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
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-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
No specific categories of workers or employers
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
Migrants or forcibly displaced persons
II-15 Has the initiative been developed through effective social dialogue processes and inter-institutional coordination mechanisms?
Yes, through social dialogue
II-2 Objectives and description of the initiative
The new scheme provides Omani and non-Omani mothers who are in full-time employment with longer, fully paid maternity leave, equal to 14 weeks as consistent with the requirements of ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183). It also includes the option of unpaid, job-protected leave for up to 98 additional days, which can be shared between father and mother. In order to avoid a negative impact on women’s future pension entitlements, the Social Protection Fund will cover the cost of pension contributions during maternity leave. In a first for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, Oman has also introduced seven days of paid paternity leave for all employed Omani and non-Omani fathers at full salary. This can be extended to up to 98 additional days of unpaid, job-protected leave. Under this new system, the maternity and paternity leave are collectively financed by all employers through a monthly contribution to the Social Protection Fund equal to 1 per cent of all wages.
II-3 Type of initiative
National/local law
II-3 Type of initiative
Policy / strategy
II-3 Type of initiative
Other normative / regulatory framework
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?
Social Protection policies
II-6 Which other policy areas 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-6 Which other policy areas of the 5R Framework for Decent Care Work does the practice focus on?
Migration 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?
Universal social protection systems that provide adequate protection to care workers and recognize unpaid care work
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-8 Which beneficiaries in the care economy does the practice focus on?
Care recipients (children, older persons, persons with disabilities, etc.)
II-9 Geographical scope
Urban and rural
III-1 In a short paragraph, summarize the main results and impacts obtained
Expanding maternity and paternity protection is a source of profound transformation for the labour market. Increasing female economic participation is a defining challenge for Oman in its quest to achieve a more equal society and a more productive economy. This reform supports all workers, regardless of nationality by providing the necessary time to care for their families.“The inclusion of migrant women in the newly adopted maternity insurance schemes in Oman and Saudi Arabia reinforces the principle of non-discrimination and equality of treatment for all workers,” commented Luca Pellerano, Senior Social Protection Specialist for the ILO in the Arab States. “Migrant women face significant labour protection gaps in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and pregnancy is often the cause of dismissal and repatriation. The implementation of these new systems will have to go hand in hand with measures to ensure migrant women retain their labour rights during maternity leave. It is also important that maternity insurance extends in the future to women in all forms of employment and especially women domestic workers, who are most vulnerable to discrimination and abuse across the region,” he added.
III-2 Explanation of the innovative element of the initiative for advancing decent work in the care economy
The innovative element of Oman’s maternity benefits under the new Social Protection Law lies in the shift from an employer-liability model to a collectively financed social insurance model, which is a major departure from traditional approaches in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This approach not only supports decent work and gender equality, but also helps formalize care responsibilities and recognizes maternity as a shared societal responsibility, rather than a private matter between employer and employee. This shift is central to building a rights-based, inclusive care economy and ensures more equitable participation of women in the labour market.
IV-1 What were the main challenges or difficulties during the design and implementation? How were they faced/ addressed?
Domestic workers remain excluded from the scope of social insurance coverage of the new legislation, and their participation could eventually be granted by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
IV-2 Lessons learned and good practices, including room and opportunities for improvement
The new legislation in Oman is a decisive step towards the progressive realization of non-Omani workers’ rights to social protection. Yet, several areas for further alignment with ILO social security standards remain, especially in relation to the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination. In extending these social security protections to non-nationals, whose income security, health and wellbeing are vital to the success of the country’s economic and social development vision, it is essential to ensure all categories of workers are eventually covered. As the social insurance reforms are gradually implemented, attention should be given to monitoring the effects on non-Omani coverage, benefits adequacy, administrative costs and the portability of benefits, while strengthening efforts at supporting non-national workers in registration and claims management.
IV-3 Key conditions for success
IV-4 Key conditions for sustainability
IV-5 Potential for transferability, expansion and replicability in other countries and contexts
The Omani reform has already begun to influence regional developments. In July 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also announced legislation which increased maternity leave from 10 weeks to 12 weeks and changed the maternity benefits funding scheme from employer liability to social insurance for both national and non-nationals. Remaining Gulf countries are expected to explore similar solutions. The Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Ministers of Social Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in coordination with Oman’s Ministry of Labour, and in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened a workshop dedicated to the review of the status and progress of maternity benefit policies and schemes and their implications on the GCC labour market. The two-day event, held in the Oman capital Muscat on 22-23 January 2025, focused on sharing regional experiences and identifying opportunities to progressively set forth transformative and nationally designed care policies.
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
Maternity and Paternity benefits launched in Oman: pioneering social insurance reforms in the Gulf regionILO discusses maternity benefits and implications for labour markets in the Arab Gulf countriesCare at work in Oman