Panafrican News Agency

Global health professionals seek ways to address "harassment" of women in the workplace in Africa

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Despite women playing a predominant role in the global economy, there is a pressing need for workplace policies in place for some African countries to remove barriers for this social category and enablers for them to balance careers and family life, experts said in a summary report obtained Tuesday by PANA in Kigali.

They were speaking at a panel on "‘Fix the system, not the women’, " on the sidelines of the first Women Leaders in Global Health conference in the Rwandan capital, Kigali 

Hosted by the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), an initiative of Partners in Health, the 2019 Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH19) conference this year saw over 1000+ participants to discuss how best to change the global health gender imbalance and status quo for women within Africa and beyond.

In a session focusing on harassment in the work place, experts stressed the need to ensure that women have right to flexible hours, telecommuting, paid leave, travel support for child care and workplace nursing rooms.

In Rwanda, latest official figures by Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) indicate that 5,430 mothers had benefited from maternity leave benefits by end December 2018.

Before a ministerial order granting maternity leave was published in October 2016, some mothers would return to work when their infant was still at a critical stage of growth (1.5 month old) so that they do not miss their salary. 

-0- PANA TWA/VAO 26Nov2019