Bangkok — June 2, 2026 — A new International Labour Organization (ILO) report reveals that while maternity protection has expanded across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), significant gaps remain, particularly for women in informal employment and migrant workers.
The publication, Maternity Benefits in the ASEAN: Progress and Opportunities for Integrated Approaches across Social Protection and Health Systems, analyzes coverage, benefit adequacy, and coordination between social health protection and maternity cash benefit schemes. It emphasizes that integrated approaches can reduce financial hardship during pregnancy and childbirth while improving access to quality care.
Produced under the ILO‑Luxembourg Support to the Extension of Social Health Protection in Asia project, the report calls for extending maternity protection to all women, strengthening financing mechanisms, and aligning maternity policies with broader social protection and health systems. It also underscores the importance of international social security standards in guiding reforms toward universal and adequate maternity protection.
ILO Project Manager Nathalie Both noted that ensuring income security and healthcare access during maternity is essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes, preventing poverty, and advancing gender equality. Co‑author Lou Tessier, ILO Health Protection Specialist, reinforced the need to raise the profile of universal maternity protection as a core public investment.
The findings provide practical policy entry points for ASEAN Member States seeking to strengthen inclusive and gender‑responsive maternity benefits, ensuring that reforms contribute to sustainable development and social justice.
