Discrimination Case: Woman Gets £25,000 Payout

A woman in Ireland was paid a sum of £25,000 as a part of a settlement after she filed a case of sex discrimination against her employer.

Ruth Faulkner, from Bangor, had worked at Intern Europe Ltd since June 2010 as a work placements officer, reported BBC.

What happened?

After she returned to work post her maternity leave, Ruth was told that her job was at risk. The company reportedly told her that either she could choose to leave or go through a formal redundancy situation. Faulkner claimed she was informed that if she chose this option then she'd have to leave the office right away. She wouldn't even return to her desk.

"When I returned to work after the birth of my child, to be confronted with a proposal to terminate my employment, I was shocked and upset," she said in the BBC report

The Equality commission then assisted her with the case. They said that they received 193 complaints related to sex discrimination linked with pregnancy  in the year 2017-18.

Cases in India

Similar cases have happened in India too.

Although rights of working women are protected by the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961, a majority of them continue to face hard circumstances post their declaration of pregnancy.

Read Also : Women Conductors In Maharashtra To Get 9-Month Maternity Leave

In 2013, as reported by  The Hindu, Reema Paul working in the Kolkata branch of one of India’s top electronic chain of stores was asked to hand her resignation letter after she rightfully demanded her maternity leave.

Neera Mathur Vs LIC of India

In 1991, the Neera Mathur Vs Life Insurance Corporation of India had turned heads.

She was discharged from service in February 1990 during her probation period, which had begun in September 1989. The company said that she had hidden the fact of being pregnant. They said she should have disclosed it at the time of filling up a declaration form prior to being appointed, according to a report by The Hindu.

After the case was filed, the court found out that the declaration form asked women candidates information about the dates of their menstrual cycles and past pregnancies. The court told them to strike these questions off as they were found violative to Article 21, which guarantees right to life and privacy. The court ultimately ruled in favour of Mathur.

It's been decades since the time laws have been made for the protection of women in work space. But things have hardly changed.

Read Also: Pregnancy & Work: Know Your Pregnancy Rights At Workplace

Kriti Dwivedi is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv