The association of Bulgarian mothers demands that the Parliament vote to increase the paid maternity leave from 315 to 410 days. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
The Bulgarian NGO "Association of Current and Future Mothers" (SNBM) issued Thursday a statement insisting on the inclusion of a number of demography-related measures in the 2009 Budget.
In the first place, the mothers' association demands that the Parliament uphold the proposed increase of the paid maternity leave from 315 days to 410 days, and that the respective funds be included in the 2009 Budget.
The mothers also insist that the government craft special compensations for those mothers with twins as far as their maternity leaves are concerned. The association reminds that the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy had promised to initiate new measures for the special treatment of those mothers, who give birth to twins.
The SNBM states explicitly that the inclusion of the funding for their demands was totally possible and feasible within the proposed 2009 draft budget.
The association points out that the authorities' failure to accept the above measure would be contrary to their widely proclaimed policy for stimulating families to have more children.
The Bulgarian mothers are going to present their demands at a special press conference on Sunday.