Labour activists marking International Women's Day yesterday renewed calls for an increase in maternity leave from 90 to 120 days.
Worawan Chandoevwit, an adviser on social security at the Thailand Development Research Institute, said the call was in accordance with a government plan looking to increase the national fertility rate.
She said all aspects of the issue should be looked at by state agencies in order to devise policies to create a proper environment for couples deciding to have children.
Besides state agencies, Ms Worawan suggested the government also seek advice from private agencies on the issue.
The call came as labour rights networks headed from Victory Monument to Thammasat University's Tha Phra Chan campus in a march adopting the theme "women's security is state security", to mark International Women's Day Thursday.
The groups urged the government to act in response to International Labour Organisation Convention No.183, which encourages governments to grant maternity leave of at least 18 weeks, or 126 days, to female employees.
They also called on the government to establish child development centres nationwide with office hours in line with employees' lifestyles. Also, safe zones should be designated for women and children in the deep South.
Ms Worawan said in the event that the maternity leave proposal does not materialise, the government should advise the private sector to relax work regulations for female employees one year after delivery.
Employers should allow them to work from home or nursery areas should be established near or in office buildings while a mother's corner for breastfeeding should be designated, she said.
She said current rules allowing women take 90 days' leave and receive a full salary for 45 days were not practical enough to encourage people of working age to have children.
Assoc Prof Vipan Prachuabmoh, dean of the College of Population Studies at Chulalongkorn University, Thursday said the government should help infertile women see doctors if they want to have children.
Ruangrung Wichienphong, president of the SSL (Thailand) Labour Union, said an earlier call to extend maternity leave to 120 days was rejected.