ILO Study Calls for Universal Access to Maternity Benefits Across ASEAN Asia

Countries across Southeast Asia have made significant progress in expanding maternity protection in recent years, but millions of women—particularly those working in informal employment and migrant workers—still lack adequate access to income support and healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report, titled “Maternity Benefits in the ASEAN: Progress and Opportunities for Integrated Approaches across Social Protection and Health Systems,” examines maternity protection systems across member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and identifies opportunities to strengthen support for women and families during one of the most critical periods of life.

While recognising important advances made by many countries in the region, the report highlights persistent challenges in coverage, adequacy, and accessibility of maternity benefits. It argues that stronger coordination between social protection programmes and healthcare systems is needed to ensure all women can access quality care and financial security during maternity.

The findings come at a time when governments across Southeast Asia are increasingly focusing on social protection reforms, gender equality, workforce participation, and healthcare access as key components of sustainable development.

Maternity Protection Remains Essential for Social and Economic Development

The ILO emphasises that maternity protection is not only a health issue but also a fundamental social and economic policy priority. Comprehensive maternity protection helps ensure that women can access healthcare services during pregnancy and childbirth while maintaining income security when they are temporarily unable to work. Without adequate support, families often face significant financial strain, increasing the risk of poverty and long-term economic vulnerability.

The report notes that maternity protection contributes to multiple policy objectives, including improving maternal and child health outcomes, reducing inequality, supporting labour market participation, and advancing gender equality. By protecting women during pregnancy and after childbirth, governments can help create healthier families and more inclusive economies. The ILO argues that maternity protection should be viewed as a critical public investment rather than simply a welfare measure.

Significant Progress Across ASEAN

The report acknowledges that many ASEAN member states have expanded maternity protection in recent years. Across the region, governments have introduced or strengthened maternity leave provisions, healthcare coverage, social insurance schemes, and other forms of support aimed at protecting women during maternity. These reforms have helped improve access to financial assistance and healthcare services for millions of women.

In some countries, maternity leave entitlements have been extended, while others have expanded social insurance systems or introduced broader health coverage. Such measures reflect growing recognition of the importance of supporting women during pregnancy and childbirth.

The progress also aligns with international efforts to strengthen social protection systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to health, gender equality, decent work, and poverty reduction.

Informal Workers Still Left Behind

One of the most significant challenges identified in the report is the exclusion of many women working in the informal economy. Informal employment remains widespread across Southeast Asia and includes workers who often lack formal employment contracts, social insurance coverage, and access to labour protections.

Women working in informal jobs may include market vendors, domestic workers, agricultural labourers, home-based workers, self-employed individuals, and many others. Because social protection systems are frequently linked to formal employment, many of these workers are unable to access maternity cash benefits or paid maternity leave. As a result, pregnancy and childbirth can lead to sudden income loss and financial hardship. The report argues that extending maternity protection to informal workers is essential if countries are to achieve universal coverage. Without reforms, large numbers of women will continue to face unequal access to support during maternity.

Migrant Workers Face Additional Barriers

Migrant women represent another group facing significant challenges in accessing maternity benefits. Southeast Asia has extensive labour migration flows, with millions of workers moving across borders in search of employment opportunities. Many migrant women are employed in sectors such as domestic work, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and caregiving. However, access to maternity benefits for migrant workers often remains limited. Barriers can include legal restrictions, lack of social insurance coverage, administrative hurdles, language difficulties, and uncertainty regarding immigration status.

The report notes that migrant women are frequently excluded from national social protection systems or receive only partial coverage. This leaves many vulnerable to financial hardship during pregnancy and childbirth. The ILO argues that improving maternity protection for migrant workers is critical to ensuring equitable access to healthcare and social security across the region.

Integrating Social Protection and Healthcare Systems

A central recommendation of the report is stronger integration between maternity cash benefit programmes and healthcare systems. Currently, social protection and health services often operate separately, which can create gaps in support and make it more difficult for women to access comprehensive care.

The report suggests that better coordination between these systems could improve both financial protection and health outcomes. Integrated approaches would allow women to receive income support while also accessing essential maternal healthcare services without facing excessive costs. Such coordination can reduce financial barriers that prevent women from seeking medical care and help ensure healthier pregnancies and childbirth experiences.

The report highlights that financial hardship associated with maternity can discourage women from accessing healthcare, particularly among low-income households. Stronger integration could therefore contribute to improved maternal and child health outcomes across the region.

Financing Remains a Key Challenge

The ILO report also identifies financing as one of the most important issues facing maternity protection systems. Many countries continue to struggle with ensuring that maternity benefits are both sustainable and adequate.

In some cases, benefit levels are too low to provide meaningful financial security. In others, coverage remains limited because funding mechanisms are insufficient to support broader inclusion.

The report calls on governments to strengthen financing arrangements and invest in systems capable of providing comprehensive maternity protection to all women. Adequate financing is viewed as essential for expanding coverage while maintaining benefit quality and long-term sustainability. The ILO argues that stronger investment in maternity protection should be seen as an investment in economic resilience, workforce participation, and social development.

Aligning Maternity Protection with Broader Policy Goals

Another key recommendation is the alignment of maternity protection policies with wider social protection, health, labour, and care policies. The report notes that maternity protection does not exist in isolation.

Its effectiveness is closely connected to broader issues such as childcare availability, healthcare access, employment conditions, family support systems, and gender equality policies.

By taking a more integrated policy approach, governments can create stronger support systems for women and families. Such coordination can help address multiple challenges simultaneously, including poverty reduction, labour market participation, healthcare access, and social inclusion.

The report suggests that maternity protection should be considered part of a broader care economy framework that recognises the social and economic value of caregiving.

International Standards Provide Guidance

The publication emphasises the importance of international social security standards in guiding future reforms. The ILO notes that international labour and social protection standards provide a framework for developing maternity protection systems that are universal, comprehensive, and adequate.

These standards can help governments design policies that promote fairness, sustainability, and inclusiveness.

The report argues that aligning national policies with international standards can support progress toward universal social protection while ensuring that maternity benefits meet the needs of women and families. The findings are intended to contribute to ongoing policy discussions throughout ASEAN and provide practical guidance for governments considering reforms.

Maternity Protection as an Investment in the Future

Nathalie Both, Project Manager of the ILO-Luxembourg Support to the Extension of Social Health Protection in Asia project and one of the report’s co-authors, stressed the far-reaching benefits of maternity protection. “Ensuring income security and effective access to healthcare without financial hardship during maternity are essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes, preventing poverty and vulnerability, supporting women’s labour force participation, and advancing gender equality,” she said.

She emphasised that maternity protection should be recognised as a fundamental right and a key investment in long-term development.

“The right to universal social protection during maternity needs to be upheld and its profile raised as an essential public investment in the future and a core component of countries’ economic, health and care policies,” Both added.

Building More Inclusive Social Protection Systems

The report concludes that while ASEAN countries have made important progress, achieving universal maternity protection will require further reforms and stronger political commitment. Extending coverage to informal workers and migrants, improving financing systems, integrating health and social protection services, and aligning policies with international standards are all viewed as essential steps. As governments across Southeast Asia continue to modernise social protection systems, the report provides a roadmap for creating more inclusive and gender-responsive maternity benefits.

For millions of women across the region, such reforms could help ensure that pregnancy and childbirth no longer lead to financial insecurity, healthcare barriers, or exclusion from economic opportunities. Instead, maternity protection can serve as a foundation for healthier families, stronger labour markets, and more equitable societies throughout ASEAN.