Histadrut-Led Reform: Ministerial Committee approves maternity law for self-employed women

In a major victory for economic justice and gender equality, the Histadrut’s Self-Employed Forum has led the charge behind a groundbreaking bill that allows self-employed women to work part-time during maternity leave without forfeiting their National Insurance benefits.

The Ministerial Committee for Legislation has approved a private member’s bill submitted by MK Osher Shekalim (Likud), developed in close cooperation with the Histadrut’s Self-Employed Forum, to amend the National Insurance Law. The new proposal is designed to eliminate the current blanket restriction that bars self-employed women from working at all while receiving maternity benefits—a rule that has long placed them at a severe disadvantage.

Under existing law, women receiving maternity payments from the National Insurance Institute are not allowed to work during the benefit period. For self-employed women, this means suspending their business entirely, a reality that can lead to financial damage, client loss, stagnation, or even permanent closure.

The new bill proposes a balanced and humane solution: allowing self-employed women to work up to 80 hours per month during maternity and parental leave, without prior approval from the National Insurance Institute and without losing their eligibility for benefits. This provision will apply to women whose businesses are defined as micro or small enterprises under the Mandatory Tenders Law and who have been operating for at least 12 consecutive months prior to childbirth.

“This is a historic day for self-employed women in Israel,” said Tiki Edison, Deputy Chair of the Histadrut’s Self-Employed Forum.
“After two years of determined struggle, we’ve succeeded in passing a fair, equal, and necessary law with the support of MK Shekalim. This legislation acknowledges the dual reality faced by self-employed mothers, between the need to recover from childbirth and the imperative to keep their businesses alive. The Histadrut will not rest until a complete social safety net is in place for the self-employed, during emergencies, bereavement, hospitalization, and beyond. We’ve stopped being the ones who only pay into the system and receive nothing in return.”

The Histadrut Self-Employed Forum, which has grown in prominence in recent years, continues to lead initiatives that ensure economic security and dignity for freelancers, small business owners, and independent professionals across Israel. This legislative achievement is the latest step in the Histadrut’s broader mission to represent and protect all workers, salaried and self-employed alike.