Gbenro Adesina
Oyo State Government on Thursday August 20, 2020, said efforts are on-going to ensure that maternity leave for pregnant and nursing mothers is extended from four to six months for nursing mothers in the employment of the state and men would also soon begin to enjoy paternity leave.
The State Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Sanni stated this at a 2-day workshop on ‘Safe Motherhood’, organised by Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Oyo state chapter, held at Dapo Aderogba Hall, NUJ Press Center, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
Sanni said the extension was necessary so that adequate care would be given to the new born babies while the mothers would also have the privilege to take care of themselves, as the present administration under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde has determined to support every key aspect of motherhood in order to promote wellbeing of women and children in the state.
She emphasised that the administration has been promoting, educating, empowering, protecting children and women from all forms of abuse as well as supporting them financially, especially those in need of financial help.
In her remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs And Community Development in the state House of Assembly, Honourable Wumi Oladeji, said the Assembly has been gender-friendly and has enacted laws to take adequate care of the interest of women and children, adding that Oyo state House of Assembly was the first to domesticate the Child Rights Law (2006) in the country.
Other gender friendly laws enacted by the House as mentioned by the lawmaker are Violence Against Women (2016), Oyo State Family Planning, Reproductive Health and Maternity Services Law, (2019), Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law, (2016).
Oladeji said the House also has some Bills under processing that were meant to protect the interest of women, such as Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill, 2019; Child Sexual Offences Bill, (2019); and Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Team and Referral Centre Bill, (2020).
While declaring the workshop opened, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, said Oyo state Government has been doing its best to reduce the suffering of women through every possible means.
He said with free education policy, most women have been able to send their children to school as majority of them used to bear the burden of taking care of the home front.
He advised women to be prayerful, support their husbands and raise their children well while striving to be at the top of their career.
