More than 1 in 5 pregnancies globally end in miscarriage. It is no different in the UAE. And yet, in a 2024 survey, 95% of women and men who experienced miscarriage while employed said they took no leave to recover from the grief. While policies may exist, many go unspoken, inconsistently implemented, or remain difficult to access due to cultural discomfort and lack of open dialogue. As a result, the loss of a child before birth is often not treated as a loss at all.
Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East and UAE-based women’s platform, ItsHerWay, intend to change that with a campaign, The Leave of Absence, that blends powerful creative with a call for systemic change. The Leave of Absence is the country’s first corporate pledge encouraging businesses to introduce formal miscarriage bereavement leave policies.
The initiative invites companies to adopt compassionate leave policies that recognise miscarriage for what it is – a human experience that deserves space and empathy. The pledge is available online for both HR leaders and employees, along with a downloadable toolkit.
At the heart of the campaign is The Needed Space, a short film created by Saatchi & Saatchi ME and directed by Tahaab Rais, chief strategy officer at Publicis Groupe MENAT. The film unfolds wordlessly, moving through empty nurseries – a crib untouched, baby socks folded, a swing moved by wind — offering a visual representation of grief through absence, rather than presence. It is set to a lullaby-like version of Guns ‘n’ Roses poignant song, Sweet Child O’ Mine, adapted to underscore the emotional weight without using dialogue.
This film is not only spreading awareness, but it’s also act as the trigger point for the entire pledge. It redirects viewers to the website, where they can download a template of the pledge and submit to their own HR departments. It’s also where heads of companies can sign the pledge to show their support for the cause and implement miscarriage leave for both women and men.
“Sometimes a lot can be said, by not saying or showing a lot. And that was precisely the direction taken to bring the message to people with this film”, says Tahaab Rais, the initiative’s lead, the film’s director and chief strategy officer at Publicis Groupe. “A lot of us, including I, as a father, have gone through the unseen trauma of miscarriage. It takes it toll. But companies don’t treat it as that. So, this initiative matters in unveiling it as what it is – a death to a loved one – and allow the space for miscarriage grief.”
“At ItsHerWay, we believe in championing conversations that matter. ‘Leave of Absence’ strikes a deeply personal chord with us as it sheds light on a topic often left unspoken in our region”, stated Armin Jamula, co-Founder of ItsHerWay. “We are proud to be spearheading a movement that normalizes such an important dialogue and encourages actionable change.”
ItsHerWay is also continuing to spread awareness with a series of visual content disguised as “furniture sale” classifieds. “These ads, featuring nursery furniture, never-worn baby clothes, and untouched baby toys spotlight the despair & grief of miscarriage”, says Sebastien Boutebel, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi Dubai. “The asking price? Bereavement leaves for the parents, with a clear call to action that leads viewers to our site. Then those ads were taken to Facebook marketplace.”
In addition, ItsHerWay is also setting up sessions with psychologist for all women and men needing support with coping with miscarriage grief.
