The Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance has urged the the Zambian government to enact laws that will extend maternity leave up to six months.
Currently Zambia has two laws for maternity protection which are the Employment Act CAP 268 and (2) Statutory Instruments (SI) 56 and 57 of 2008.
Employment Act CAP 268 provides for 90 days of maternity leave for workers in formal employment and the SI provides for 120 days maternity for vulnerable workers who have no collective agreement or are not unionized respectively.
Zambia Civil Society Scaling up Nutrition Alliance National Coordinator William Chilufya said government must ensure that maternity leave for breastfeeding mothers is increased to at least 6 months if Zambia is going to achieve higher breastfeeding rates.
Mr Chilufya was speaking on Sunday during a media briefing to mark the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) which is celebrated from the 1st to the 7th of August each year.
This year’s theme is “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s Make it Work” and calls for a collective effort in highlighting the importance of support for breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.
According to the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey of 2013, nearly 73 percent of infants in Zambia were exclusively breastfed between the ages of 0-6 months.
But Mr Chilufya said this steady percentage increase from 60.9 percent in 2007 illustrates that Zambia is making some good progress but that there is still more that can be done.
“In line with the Scaling Up Nutrition program that the Zambian government is implementing where exclusive breastfeeding is a priority intervention for implementation, the two categories of maternity leave, the maternity leave categories in Zambia are not adequate in allowing women to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of a child’s life,” Mr Chilufya said.
He said government must enact laws on maternity leave that support not partial, but exclusive breastfeeding saying absence of exclusive breastfeeding may lead to undernutrition which causes more than one third of deaths of children under 5.
“Many of these deaths occur in the first year of life and are associated with inappropriate breastfeeding practices. When children do not get appropriate and adequate nutrients in the first 1000 days, the critical period for growth and cognitive development, they are likely guaranteed a poor future. As part of the First 1000 most critical days programme in Zambia, breastfeeding promotion is one of many high impact interventions aimed at reducing stunting,” Mr Chilufya said.
He said although there are not many countries globally which have enacted six or more months paid maternity leave, in 2008, Brazil extended its maternity leave from 120 days to six months for all public sector employees except for some municipalities while in November 2014, Myanmar passed legislation for six months maternity leave with pay as well as Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Mr Chilufya said mothers don’t need to stop breastfeeding just because they’re returning to study or work.
“Many women find ways to continue breastfeeding their baby – and employers have certain obligations towards breastfeeding women. Employers should have a policy to support mothers to carry on breastfeeding. Women can ask if their employer has a policy supporting breastfeeding before going on maternity leave.”
He said cconcerted national action to support women to combine breastfeeding and work, whether in the formal sector, non-formal sector, or at home.
“Ratification and implementation of maternity protection laws and regulations by the government of Zambia, in line with the ILO Maternity Protection Convention is required,” Mr Chilufya said.
Mr Chilufya added that inclusion of breastfeeding target indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals should include an ‘exclusive breastfeeding target indicator’ to firmly position breastfeeding in the global health and nutrition arena and serve as a proxy indicator for monitoring the status of maternity protection at national level.
These useless NGIs and NGOs should be realistic. It is better to extend parental leave to men instead like they do in Scandinavian countries. Or maybe they want lifetime maternity leave so that jobs remain for men only?
….if a company or institution can operate efficiently without you for six months…surely then that institution does not need you…..
…let the working mother voice out on this instead of baby face Chilufya with little or absolutely no knowledge on breast feeding reality….
This is pushing your luck to far……SIX(6) of nursing the baby? Then you do not need the jobs anymore ladies. 90 days is more than enough!!
They should also be on half salary, even 90 days is still too much to be away from work ( this includes vacation leave ). Thats y we are poor
Chilufya is at work and gets paid just like that. Now tell the Employers what the benefits of such a move shall be to them and how they shall generate the monies to pay 6 months of no input. If you were the employer, how would you deal with those women in you employment who chose to remain single and have no children? How about if the mother died upon giving delivery, would you allow for the hubby to stay away for the same period?
Thanks gents,
You are 100% correct, this man in promoting lazziness.
Its actually very sad to learn that we have such people in our country.
We are better off being house wivies then overlooking our employers. We should respect were we get our bread and butter from.
Chilufya’s ideal is very ‘bombo’ its not different from biting a finger that feeds you.
Think before you act.
at 50% pay ka? so that the company can employ somebody else for 6 months.
Perhaps giving women half day for the other 90 days is more productive…….
India lauched the 26 weeks matenity leave last year in september. It makes sense than our current 12 weeks. mother spend half of their lives working only a few hours is dedicated to their children.
Please stand up for this noble cause. our country will be more productive if the carriers of our nation are repsected and treated well. VIVA SIX MONTHS MATERNITY LEAVE! 80/20 theory!