Maternity protection of women at work has been of core importance to the International Labour Organization since its establishment in 1919. In 1952, this Convention was revised to take into consideration developments in national law and practice, especially in the realm of social security. The years since 1952 have similarly seen dramatic changes, notably in the participation of women in the workforce, and an ever growing commitment to eliminate discrimination in employment. It is submitted that there is a need to adopt protective legislation for agricultural workers.
Agriculture is one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide, alongside mining and construction.
It is also a very complex and heterogeneous sector, involving a number of specific methods which vary from country to country and between developed and developing countries, from highly mechanized agriculture in plantations to traditional methods in small-scale subsistence agriculture. Agriculture tends, however, to be omitted from the occupational safety and health regulations of many countries, apart from a few countries which have a set of special provisions on occupational safety and health relating to agriculture. Most of these regulations concern safety of machinery and equipment and pesticides. Comprehensive legislation on occupational safety and health addressing the sector is almost inexistent, however. Moreover, an important number of agricultural workers are excluded from social security benefits.