Nairobi, March 30 -- The World Bank's proposal to extend paid maternity for mothers in Kenya by two weeks to address gender gaps, while well-meaning, would need the buy-in of employers to avoid discrimination against women seeking employment in the aftermath.

The push for longer paid leave for mothers continues to divide opinions, with some arguing it would place a burden on employers.

The World Bank Group's Women, Business and the Law Index shows women in Kenya enjoy only 81 percent of the legal rights of men, with inequalities in areas of entrepreneurship, parenthood, assets, and pensions.

Kenya's employment law allows a fully paid three-month maternity leave for mothers nursing their own pregnancies and a two-week paternity break fo...