Emma Mukandi criticises FA & Reading maternity policy

Emma Mukandi (right) returned for Reading at the start of this season

Reading captain Emma Mukandi has criticised the Football Association's maternity policy, saying it must have been drawn up by a man.

Mukandi gave birth in November 2021 before returning for Scotland in August 2022 and for Reading when the WSL season started in September.

The current FA maternity policy gives new mothers 14 weeks of full pay.

"If I was to have a kid now, I don't think I'd be able to return 14 weeks after giving birth," Mukandi, 30, said.

An FA spokesperson said: "It is at the discretion of clubs, who directly employ the players, if they choose to go above and beyond the regulations set out within our policy."

Reading manager Kelly Chambers said: "There is stuff we can do better, but for us we gave Emma time to return, now she is in the best shape she has been in."

Mukandi told Off The Ball's COYGIG podcast: "The policy is you only get 14 weeks' full pay and then you've got to go back to your work.

"Bear in mind our body is our job, who even came up with that? Surely not someone who's played football and had a baby. Is that a man? It had to be a man. A man was definitely involved in that."

Mukandi said the FA policy - introduced before the start of this season and which all clubs in the top two divisions in women's football must adhere to - means new mothers at poorer clubs receive less support.

"If you've got loads of money at Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, you've got loads of great facilities, having a baby there is not an issue at all," she said.

"But the lower down the leagues you go and then money comes into it and facilities, then it's easier for clubs and CEOs to be like, 'No, this isn't happening'."

'It's a cop-out'

Mukandi said Reading, who play in the WSL, have not allowed her to bring her daughter Innes into the training ground on days when she is not able to organise childcare.

She said they informed her via a general email that children were not allowed on grounds of "club policy". She is working with the Professional Footballers' Association to find a solution.

Mukandi said: "It's a bit of a cop-out because they know the men don't have to take their kids in because they're earning £10,000 a week, so their wife can just sit at home and watch the kids, or they can afford the nanny.

"Because it's probably never happened at a club like Reading, it's probably easier to be like, 'We just have this policy that there's no kids and that's the answer'.

"I was a wee bit more disappointed because they never even came and spoke to me. It was just this email that got put out - a general email - but which I felt was pretty directed at myself.

"If this is about me then why did we not have a conversation and let me explain why she's here and see if there was anything they could do to actually help rather than just shut the door on it?"

Mukandi revealed she faked an injury when eight weeks pregnant and did not inform Reading of the pregnancy until after the 12-week scan in case it "didn't go down well".

"That was pretty tough," she said. "I did then have to tell the coach because it was probably not right that I kept it for that long anyway.

"At the time there was nothing in the contracts to say if you were pregnant there was any support put in place."

Writing on Twitter on Friday, Mukandi said she had highlighted to Reading that "more specialised support should be offered" but she understood that as she had been the first player at the club to have taken maternity leave there were "many lessons to be learnt".

"I will keep speaking about the topic in hope to make improvements in the club and the WSL," she wrote.

'We supported Emma the best way we could'

Chambers said Reading effectively gave Mukandi a maternity package before FA rules came into place.

Speaking at her press conference on Thursday, Chambers said: "I don't think Emma said anything against the club. She wants to fight for footballers to be mums.

"Now it is how clubs can think about the women's game in that light. It's new for clubs, based at men's training grounds - it's a different culture spin.

"It's hard, you can go to most workplaces and it would be statutory pay. I'm becoming a mum again myself and that's what's on offer. 14 weeks doesn't mean you have to return to playing after 14 weeks, that needs to be clear to players.

"Emma wasn't ready to step on the pitch, we accepted that. There has to be more guidance for players. It's a step in the right direction. When Emma gave birth there was nothing."

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