Editorial
Create conducive office space for breastfeeding mothers
For nursing women who want to nurse their newborns entirely after returning from their three-month maternity leave, a lack of work space presents a significant obstacle.
Therefore, it is excellent to designate a private, convenient and comfortable space where mothers can nurse their babies when they go back to work.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) advised breastfeeding to continue for up to two years after the first six months of life, supplemented with the right complementary foods.
When they return to work after maternity leave, many working mothers find it challenging to follow the WHO’s advice. Because of this, some working mothers are forced to start feeding their infants formula in feeding bottles at a young age, contrary to WHO’s directive.
The infant is at a significant risk of contracting an infection as a result of the unclean handling and preparation of the baby formula.
As the mothers return to work earlier to be involved in their occupations that provide them with revenue at the end of the month, it becomes harder for them to continue breastfeeding their newborns.
According to experts, breastfeeding benefits both the mother and the child since it provides all the essential nutrients in the right amounts, lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, and guards against allergies, illness, and obesity among others.
The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), which was held this year from August 1 to August 7 with the theme, “Making Impact with Working Parents,” urges for immediate action to support working mothers who want to breastfeed their babies.
The purpose of the annual event is to raise awareness of the value of nursing, support and promote breastfeeding, and enhance both the mother and baby’s health.
According to the WHO’s directive, this year’s theme was “breastfeeding and work.” This gave advocates a strategic chance to promote crucial maternity rights that support breastfeeding, such as maternity leave that lasts at least 18 weeks and ideally longer than six months, as well as workplace accommodations after this time.
For women to be able to breastfeed for as long as they would like to, these are significant challenges. According to the WHO, more than half a billion working mothers do not receive the most basic maternity benefits, and many more are left alone when they return to work.
There have been proposals to extend maternity leave from three to six months, but there is concern that this could cause serious issues for women because some employers might not think it necessary to hire young women out of concern that their time spent at home while on paid maternity leave will be too long.
However, studies have shown that infants who were exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and who were fed foods with the proper balance of nutrients from six months to two years of age have a higher chance of surviving, performing better in school, and being more productive throughout their lives.
The Spectator thinks that all employers should prioritise providing nursing mothers with a comfortable work environment because doing so will be good for both the mother and the child as well as the overall business.
Mothers who continue nursing after going back to work must therefore have the support of their employers. Employers have a lot of power to foster a culture that values breastfeeding mothers.
Until the child is roughly six months old, mothers who are returning to work should be permitted to bring their infants along with a babysitter to work. The mother will be better able to concentrate on her work, feel less stressed, and perform better at work as a result.
To ensure that breastfeeding is feasible for all working mothers and to support this year’s campaign theme, “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” the government must mandate that companies provide nursing mothers with office space.
Editorial
Fix railway crossing point on Circle-Kaneshie road
Dear Editor,
After the construction of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Accra Dubai), Ghanaian were full of belief that it could solve at least a few of the problems drivers and commuters faced.
But currently, any regular user of the area would confirm that things have rather skyrocketed.
Sanitation is a big issue as the area. Traffic congestion has become something else while street lights and traffic lights in the area are nonfunctional.
Making matters worse is the regular traffic on the stretch of the Circle-Kaneshie caused by the bad nature of the railway crossing.
It is so bad that motorist are forced to slow down to cross from whichever direction they are coming from.
During the rainy season, it becomes worse as vehicles break down in the large pool of water that gathers at the place.
I wish to appeal to the Roads and Highways ministry or whichever agency is responsible for road maintenance to fix that part of the road.
As a result, public transport operators are forced to divert routes to avoid that area and in the process, causing commotion between drivers and passengers.
I feel that problem must be fixed before the rains set in. Thank you for the space.
Awuah Martin,
Kasoa, C/R
Editorial
Make celebration of Heritage Month compulsory
Heritage or Ghana Month is an annual event held in March to commemorate Ghana’s Independence and rich cultural heritage.
The event, which is celebrated across the country is gradually gaining momentum as schools and organisations have been patronising the event with various activities and programmes displaying Ghana’s rich culture.
Recently, in a vibrant display of Ghana’s culture students of Antoa Senior High School in the Ashanti Region joined forces with the Centre for National Culture (CNC) to launch the 2025 Ghana Month celebration.
According to our reporter, the event was a mixture of traditional cloth demonstrations, dance lessons, poetry recitals, and proverbs competitions as students and staff donned colourful traditional attires, showcasing their rich cultural heritage with infectious enthusiasm.
Some organisation like media houses were also not left out in the celebration of Ghana Month with Newscasters dressed in their traditional attires showcasing their culture while reading the news.
Such celebrations should be encouraged as one of the excited students of Antoa SHS exclaimed, “I never knew how rich our Ghanaian culture was until today. I’m proud to be Ghanaian.” This is a testimony of how the celebration will remind students of their roots and instill in them national values.
Ghana has so many cultures which are hidden and its time to make these cultures to project our rich Ghanaian culture to the outside world.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) should collaborate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana Dance Ensemble to make the Ghana Month more visible in schools by organising activities to educate students on Ghanaian cultural values and norms, to promote national pride and identity.
The Spectator encourages the organisers to extend the celebration to more schools. This can be done through debates, essay writing competitions, among others to share Ghana’s rich heritage. It will help to revive the cultural spirit among the youth to become ambassadors of Ghana’ culture.
GTA must also take advantage of Ghana Month and team up with the hospitality industry such as restaurants, hoteliers, Chop Bar operators, among others to organise a traditional cuisine festival like cooking and eating competitions among organisations and associations to boost tourism in Ghana. Such competitions will give people insight into the preparations of Ghanaian local foods and drinks, and promote healthy living in families. The fashion industry should also come on board to help take Ghana Month a notch higher.
In the words of the Acting Regional Director of the CNC in the Ashanti Region, Mr Peter Kofi Marfo “Let us Wear Ghana, Eat Ghana, See Ghana, Speak Ghana, Hear and Dance Ghana, together, we’ll keep our cultural flame burning bright.”
The Spectator is hopeful that by making the celebration of Ghana Month compulsory. Ghanaians will remain committed to promoting their rich culture and heritage, for future generations.
