The Protection of Mothers in British and German Constitutional Law: A Comparative Analysis and a Contribution to the Implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Domestic Legal Area

Abstract

The universal and regional systems of human rights protection recognize that mothers find themselves in situations which require special protection. For instance, Article 10 para. 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stipulates that special protection should be accorded to mothers during a reasonable period before and after childbirth and that during such period working mothers should be accorded paid leave or leave with adequate social security benefits.