Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Parental Rights Survey, previously titled the Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey series (MPRS) and the Maternity Rights Survey, has been monitoring the take-up of maternity benefits and mothers' decisions relating to childcare and employment following the birth of the child since the late 1970s, covering changes to maternity and parental rights legislation and their effects over time. The 1993, 2002, 2009-2010 and 2019 surveys are currently held at the UK Data Service.

Mothers Follow-Up Survey, 1993

The aims of this study were: to explore working patterns of mothers five years after childbirth; to develop understanding of the links between women's employment during family formation, social inequality, and family income inequality.

This study is a follow-up to the '1988 Maternity Rights Survey', conducted by the Policy Studies Institute (PSI). Further details of the 1988 Maternity Rights Survey may be found in the publication Maternity rights in Britain by Susan McRae. The full bibliographic reference for this item may be found in the section 'Publications by Principal Investigators'.

Main Topics:

Women's employment one year after and five years after childbirth; women's contribution to family income one year after and five years after childbirth; women's attitudes to work and family; occupational change; husband's occupation; childcare.

Standard Measures
Attitudes to work and family questions replicated from OPCS/Department of Employment's 'Women and Employment Survey, 1980' (held at the Archive under SN 1746).