When the Honourable Gender Minister-designate, Momo Lartey, proposed six months of maternity leave, mothers across the country undoubtedly heaved a collective sigh of relief. “Finally, a chance to bond with baby, recover from childbirth, and enjoy sleepless nights in peace,” they must have thought. And honestly, who wouldn’t root for more time to snuggle with their little bundles of joy while enjoying a guilt-free break?
Let’s be clear—six months of maternity leave is a brilliant idea. It aligns with global best practices, giving mothers adequate time to heal and nurture their babies during those formative early months. Studies show that extended maternity leave can reduce maternal stress, improve child health outcomes, and even lead to happier families. Kudos to the Honourable Minister for thinking big!
But, as every SME owner will tell you, this “big idea” comes with an equally big problem.
Imagine you run a small business, and your two female employees announce their pregnancies—joy for them, but disaster for your balance sheet. For half the year, you’d be running a one-man show or scrambling to hire temporary workers who might barely know the difference between the company’s filing cabinet and the broom closet. Productivity? Down the drain. Profit margins? Gasping for air.
The harsh reality is that while extended maternity leave makes sense for government institutions with their endless layers of staffing, it could spell doom for SMEs, the backbone of Ghana’s economy. Many small business owners are already walking a tightrope of survival. Burdening them with a six-month maternity policy may discourage them from hiring women entirely—a slippery slope towards higher female unemployment.
So, what’s the solution? Let the government lead the charge. Ministries, departments, and large corporations with deep pockets can afford to shoulder the cost of progressive maternity policies. SMEs, on the other hand, need flexibility—perhaps incentives to hire working mothers or a more tailored leave framework that balances compassion with practicality.
In the end, we want to empower women, not inadvertently sideline them. Let’s champion policies that uplift working mothers while ensuring our SMEs thrive. After all, what’s the point of maternity leave if there’s no job waiting for you at the end of it?
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