Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has approved six months maternity leave for female workers in the state public service.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode in a statement on Tuesday said that the decision to extend the leave from three months to six months was in line with the global best practices.
He noted that the maternity leave would in small measure improve the quality of lives of the citizens in the state and reduce the scourge of infant and maternal mortality.
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According to Oyebode, the new policy takes effect from February 1, 2020, and was aimed at enabling nursing mothers in accordance with the campaign of the United Nations Intervention Children’s Emergency Fund(UNICEF) on six months exclusive breastfeeding.
” The new policy, which takes effect from February 1, 2020, is aimed at improving maternal health and encourage nursing mothers to observe the six months exclusive breastfeeding campaign of the United Nations Intervention Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
” The six months exclusive breastfeeding campaign is aimed at reducing to the barest minimum, infant and maternal mortality rate as well as facilitate work-life balance for female workers in the state, ” the statement reads.
He assured that the government would continue to initiate policies and programmes aimed at promoting the rights of women and children.
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