Source: AllAfrica
Gusau — The Zamfara State government has pledged to sponsor a bill to the state House of Assembly for a review of maternity leave for women in the state.
The proposed bill, if passed will allow mothers to stay away from work for a period of six months.
The state deputy governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad, who spoke at a world breastfeeding advocacy meeting in Gusau, said government was disturbed about the report on the survey carried out by Save the Children International on the perceptions and practices of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers and other stakeholders across the North-west.
The deputy governor represented by the state commissioner for health, Alhaji Kabiru Ahmad Janyau, said, "Let me begin by responding to one of the critical challenges from the presentations that were made at this meeting, and that is about maternity leave for mothers.
Government is going to present a bill to the state House of Assembly for a review of our current maternity leave so as to make sure that mothers spend more time with their children." The deputy governor, who said that poor breastfeeding practice is responsible for the death of many infants, added, "This meeting is a continuation of the campaign by policy makers, non-governmental organizations and health workers aimed at encouraging nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for at least six months".