A new survey from the Flemish family association Gezinsbond has highlighted a growing demand among parents for extended maternity leave and improved financial support in Belgium.
According to the Family Barometer, more than two-thirds of parents with children aged between 0 and 18 believe that maternity leave should be longer, especially in the critical first year of a child’s life.
Currently, mothers in Belgium are entitled to 15 weeks of maternity leave, which includes six weeks of prenatal leave and up to nine weeks of postnatal leave, starting from the baby’s birth.
For self-employed individuals, the maximum leave period is shorter, at 12 weeks. However, many parents feel that this period is insufficient.
A significant majority of parents—70%—expressed the belief that maternity leave for self-employed workers should be extended.
The sentiment is stronger among women, with 78% in favor, compared to just 53% of men. Furthermore, 66% of respondents argued for extending the 15-week maternity leave for employees and civil servants.
Gezinsbond, which has long advocated for better support for parents, points out that Belgium’s maternity leave policy is among the shortest in Europe.
The association calls for an increase in the maximum leave period to 26 weeks, aligning with practices in other European countries that offer longer maternity and paternity leave to support families during the early stages of child-rearing.
Beyond maternity leave, parents in Belgium also have access to birth or parental leave, which can be taken until the child turns 12, or up to 21 if the child has a mental or physical condition. This parental leave allows parents to take up to four months off work to care for their child.
Despite a gradual increase in birth leave from 10 to 20 days, half of the respondents still believe that further extension is necessary. The idea of making this leave compulsory also has widespread support among both mothers and fathers.
However, concerns over financial compensation during parental leave are also prevalent. Three-quarters of parents believe the current financial support is either too low or much too low.
Under the current system, full-time leave provides parents with a net allowance of €915, a figure that falls below the minimum wage.
Single parents receive slightly more, but the support remains inadequate for many families. Gezinsbond has urged the government to adjust these allowances to ensure that all parents can take the leave they need without facing financial hardship.
Jeroen Sleurs, the general director of Gezinsbond, emphasized the importance of balancing economic challenges with family welfare.
“With the financial challenges facing our country, we understand that difficult choices have to be made,” Sleurs said. “But longer leave around birth does not stand in the way of an 80% employment rate [which the Flemish government is aiming for].”
The association stresses that if Belgium is to compete with other European nations in terms of high employment rates, the country’s social systems must evolve to meet the needs of its working parents.
Advocating for longer maternity and parental leave, coupled with fairer financial compensation, Gezinsbond hopes to see policies that better support families and ensure the well-being of both children and parents during the critical early years.
