Page 41 Ending Sex Discrimination in the Law EQUALITY NOW – BEIJING+25 CHINA The Labour Act (1994): Chapter VII. Special Protection for Female and Juvenile Workers. Section 59. It is prohibited to arrange female workers to engage in work down the pit of mines, or work with grade IV physical labour intensity as stipulated by the State, or other work that female workers should avoid. Take Action – China President Xi Jinping Guojia Zhuxi Beijingshi 100017 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Email: english@mail.gov.cn ChinaMissionUN@gmail.com (Mission to the UN in New York) Note: Article 48 of the Constitution of China: Women in the People’s Republic of China enjoy equal rights with men in each sphere of life, in political, economic, cultural, social and family life. The state protects the rights and interests of women, applies the principle of equal pay for equal work to men and women alike and trains and selects cadres from among women. IRELAND Social Welfare Consolidation Act No. 26 of 2005, as amended by the Social Welfare and Pensions Act No. 8 of 2007: Section 47. (5) Subject to this Chapter, maternity benefit [government financial support] shall be payable to (a) a woman . . . (c) a man . . . (I) [only] where the mother dies . . . (II) . . . [within 40 weeks after giving birth] . . . Take Action – Ireland President Michael D. Higgins Áras an Uachtaráin Phoenix Park, Dublin 8 IRELAND Email: info@president.ie Twitter: @MichaelDHiggins Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016: Section 6: (1) Subject to this part, an employee who is a relevant parent in relation to a child shall be entitled to 2 weeks’ leave from his or her employment, to be known… as “paternity leave”, to enable him or her to provide, or assist in the provision of, care to the child or to provide support to the relevant adopting parent or mother of the child, as the case may be, or both. Note: On 26 January 2016, the Irish government’s Department of Justice and Equality announced that fathers will now be entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave starting in September 2016. Previously fathers only received benefits if the mother died within a certain time period after giving birth. We welcomed the news and encourage the government to continue to review the issue and consider additional paid paternity leave so that parents are treated equally. Article 40 of the Constitution of Ireland: (1) All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law.