Leave Our Leave 2023

Every year in Ireland 60 women go through a cancer diagnosis whilst pregnant or postpartum. These women are unable to defer their maternity leave when ill, so all or almost all, of their maternity leave, is spent receiving life-saving treatment denying them time to spend with their newborn baby. 

One year ago, the Irish Cancer Society launched our #LeaveOurLeave campaign, urging government to amend legislation so that women going through a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy or postpartum can defer their maternity leave. One year on, nothing has changed.

Today, we launched a video featuring some women who were diagnosed with cancer while pregnant and were unable to take sick leave and defer their maternity leave to get treated for cancer. Instead, all, or almost all, of their maternity leave was spent receiving life-saving treatment denying them precious time to spend with their newborn babies. 

Men can defer their paternity leave if they are sick, but women are denied this right.

Please share this video across all of your social channels, along with the hashtag #LeaveOurLeave and help us to be the voice for those 60 women each year, who miss out on so many precious moments with their new babies, because they are spending their maternity leave going through treatment for cancer. 

Additionally, if you would like to sign up to our Advocacy newsletter or become an Advocacy Champion for the Irish Cancer Society, please email us on advocacy@irishcancer.ie

#LeaveOurLeave