| Abstract: | This paper examines how maternity in India moves from care to crisis for working mothers. It focusses primarily on structural, policy and social dimensions. It attempts to trace contradictions within maternity protections and labour market practices where formal entitlements often coexist with stalled promotions, career penalties and expectations that women alone manage caregiving. These pressures, including professional disruption, systemic isolation and heightened emotional and physical strain underscore that maternity is structurally and socially unsupported. The paper attempts to reframe maternity as a collective responsibility shared by the state, workplaces and families to sustain maternal well-being and professional continuity. It proposes structural measures such as flexible postnatal work arrangements, fair reintegration after leave and support for shared caregiving within households. Thus, it tries to position maternity within a public, systemic frame that treats maternal care as a societal, rather than an individual concern. |
