I’ll extend maternity leave, introduce paternity rights for fathers, says Mahama

John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, has pledged to extend maternity leave by an additional month and introduce a week-long paternity leave if elected.

Under Ghana’s Labour Law, women are entitled to 12 weeks or 84 working days of maternity leave with full pay, but the ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 stipulates that maternity leave should be at least 14 weeks.

At the NDC women’s manifesto launch at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on Monday (30 September) the former president said that extending maternity leave would allow mothers more time to monitor their child’s development.

“By the fourth month, when a baby begins to wean, mothers often have to return to work. This is a crucial time for both the mother and child, and it is unfair to expect mothers to juggle work responsibilities and childcare at such a delicate stage.”

“I believe mothers deserve more time to bond with their children and support their development fully. I will add an extra month to allow mothers to monitor their child’s development before resuming their professional responsibilities. This extra time will help alleviate the pressure on mothers and contribute to healthier child development outcomes”, Mahama said.

Mahama also proposed a one-week paternity leave for fathers to support mothers during this critical period. He specified that “fathers must provide proof of marriage to access this leave.”

“This paternity leave will give fathers the opportunity to be present in the crucial first days of their child’s life. It will not only help mothers by sharing some of the childcare responsibilities, but also allow fathers to bond with their newborns. While mothers will receive four months of maternity leave, fathers will have a week of paternity leave to support their wives and bond with their child, ensuring a shared responsibility in early childcare,” he stated.

Reporting By Jonathan Ofori, Asaase Newsroom, Kumasi

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