419 MISCELLANEOUS Minimum Labour Conditions of FIFA for Female Players Regarding Pregnancy and Maternity* Ece Özsü Introduction On 4 December 2020, the FIFACouncil approved the amendments to the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (“RSTP”) endorsed by the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee in November, 2020. One of the most essential additions to the RSTP is the provision regarding pregnancy and maternity for female professional players. This article focuses on the minimum labour standards for female professional players introduced in the amendments to the RSTP, which were also notified to all member associations through circular numbered 1743.1 The amendments came into force on 1 January 2021. Firstly, the RSTP has always been applicable both for male and female professional players. However, it did not cover any specific provisions regarding pregnancy and maternity. The introduced amendments mentioned above regarding female players include the definition of maternity leave, mandatory remuneration during pregnancy, special provisions before, during, and after pregnancy, and the exception of the registration periods where a female player takes maternity leave. Maternity Leave and Mandatory Remuneration In the “Definition” section of the RSTP, maternity leave is explicitly defined as “a minimum period of 14 weeks’ paid absence granted to a female player due to her pregnancy, of which a minimum of eight weeks must be taken after the birth of the child.” * Article of April, 2021 1 For the circular, please see: https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/1743amendments-rstp-and-procedural-rules-x5672.pdf?cloudid=pchzzmjnv5po1vaw 8mar.
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