Every minute of every day, a woman dies needlessly in pregnancy or childbirth. With nearly 60 per cent of the world*s women of childbearing age in the labour force in 2006, the importance of paid work in the lives of so many women makes maternity protection at work a key to safeguarding the health and economic security of women and their children.

A new ILO report to be presented at an international conference in London on 18 October reviews the progress and priorities in the world of work to ensure women*s rights to safe maternity.

Read the full report on: www.ilo.org