ItsHerWay launches UAE's first miscarriage bereavement leave pledge, urging companies to support grieving parents

Zawya

08-04-2025

UAE — In a bold move to address a silent workplace injustice, UAE-based women's platform ItsHerWay has launched The Leave of Absence the first corporate pledge in the region calling on companies to introduce formal bereavement leave for employees who have experienced a miscarriage.
More than 1 in 5 pregnancies worldwide end in miscarriage — a statistic that holds true in the UAE. Yet, despite the scale of this experience, it remains largely unspoken in the workplace. In fact, 95% of women (and men) in the UAE who have experienced a miscarriage while employed reported taking no leave days off work to recover from the grief. While some policies may exist, the issue often lies in inconsistent implementation, a lack of clarity around entitlements, or simply the discomfort of bringing up something so personal in a professional environment. And in that silence, one thing becomes clear: the loss of a child before birth is often not treated as a loss at all.
The Leave of Absence pledge aims to change this, calling on companies to recognise the deep pain and loss that comes with a miscarriage and implement compassionate bereavement policies that offer parents time to heal.
Companies can now sign the pledge and join a movement that aims to shift corporate culture across the region and beyond.
Armin Jamula, Co-Founder of ItsHerWay said: 'Leave of Absence sheds light on a topic often left unspoken in our region. When parents are expected to return to work the day after a miscarriage, it reveals a painful blind spot in corporate empathy. Our pledge is a call to action, to normalize such an important dialogue and encourage actionable change that offers both women and men the space to process their grief after loss.'
The initiative is already gaining traction, with businesses and HR leaders across the UAE expressing interest in adopting the policy. Companies can download a template of the pledge from http://theleaveofabsence.com/ and submit to their own HR departments. It's also where heads of companies can sign the pledge to show their support for the cause and implement miscarriage leave for both women and men.
Raising Awareness Through Storytelling
To support the initiative, ItsHerWay has launched an emotional awareness campaign, featuring a short film titled The Needed Space. The film offers a deeply moving portrayal of life after miscarriage. Not through people but through fragments of many homes, each caught in a different chapter of parenthood-in-waiting: an untouched crib, folded baby clothes, sterilised bottles. All symbols of love paused in time.
Set to a lullaby-like rendition of 'Sweet Child O' Mine,' the film has been created to evoke empathy and encourage corporate leaders to reconsider outdated policies around parental loss. Watch it here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWahwstEow.
The campaign also includes a series of disguised Facebook Marketplace-style ads with listings for never-used baby items like onesies and nursery furniture. The asking price? Compassionate leave.
Companies can sign up to the pledge via http://theleaveofabsence.com/
About ItsHerWay
ItsHerWay is a fast-growing platform in the UAE that supports women through every phase of their professional journeys — from entrepreneurship and funding to emotional well-being and workplace equity. Known for launching bold, socially resonant campaigns, ItsHerWay continues to use its platform to challenge taboos, spark dialogue, and drive meaningful change.