The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) has called on firms to establish and introduce family, especially women-friendly policies, in their organisation to support productivity.

President of NNEW, Funmilayo Arowoogun, who gave the charge during an advocacy courtesy visit to Berger Paints office in Lagos, said that NNEW would partner with Alive and Thrive, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), to improve infant and young child feeding practices in Lagos through advocacy, policy influencing and programmes implementation. She said that they aimed to change the narrative where women have had to cut short their career progression due to child-birth.

“We want career women at child bearing age to not lose out on any side. We canvassed that the work-place becomes maternal friendly,” she said.
Managing Director, Berger Paints, Alaba Fagun, said the firm had invested in the well-being of mothers and fathers.

She listed the company’s strategies for inclusion to include parking space for pregnant women and giving their women maternity leave beyond three months.

Fagun said that the firm had proactively considered creating a crèche, but have not figured out the modalities and would be looking forward for assistance from NNEW. She added that the men had also been included on paternity leave on the new staff handbook.
[ad]