John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, has announced his intention to extend maternity leave by an additional month and introduce a week-long paternity leave if he is elected. Currently, Ghana’s Labour Law entitles women to 12 weeks or 84 working days of maternity leave with full pay, while the ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 recommends a minimum of 14 weeks.
During the NDC women’s manifesto launch at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on September 30, Mahama emphasized that the extension of maternity leave would provide mothers with essential time to monitor their child’s development, particularly during the critical weaning period.
In addition to the maternity leave extension, Mahama proposed a one-week paternity leave for fathers to assist mothers during this important phase.
He noted that fathers would need to provide proof of marriage to qualify for this leave.
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This initiative aims to allow fathers to be present during the early days of their child’s life, sharing childcare responsibilities with mothers and fostering a bond with their newborns. While mothers would benefit from four months of maternity leave, the introduction of paternity leave seeks to promote a shared responsibility in early childcare, ultimately contributing to healthier family dynamics.
