Celebrating International Women's Day - Olam Agri introduces lactation pods for working mothers
Olam Agri, a global agribusiness company, has marked International Women’s Day with the installation of new lactation pods in its business locations across the country.
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The initiative forms part of the company’s workforce nutrition goal to ensure that by 2030, all its employees have access to nutrition programmes.
The initiative, in collaboration with the company’s women’s network Globally Reaching Olam Women (GROW), is introducing self-contained units to provide clean, comfortable, and private milieus to help working mothers express and safely keep breast milk for their babies while at work.
The first phase of the initiative was unveiled at the company’s grains factory at Kpone yesterday, during GROW’s annual conference for female employees within the organisation.
Safe space
Members of GROW described the launch of the lactation pods as proof that the company recognises the importance of providing a safe and comfortable space for nursing mothers to express breast milk for their babies.
"Supporting new mothers in the workplace is an important step towards creating a supportive work environment.
“Providing lactation pods can make it easier and more comfortable for working mothers to continue expressing breast milk while at work, which can have considerable benefits for both the mother and her baby.
“We believe that by providing the necessary tools and support, employees will be able to thrive at work," the Head of Human Resourse for Olam Agri in Ghana, Stephen Takyi Adeakye said.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, the team in Ghana organised an interactive health forum in which medical experts and professionals engaged working mothers on the importance of good nutrition for babies.
The forum was followed by a fireside chat with the 2022 Journalist of the Year, journalist, Portia Gabor, on her personal experience of achieving a work-life balance as a young mother while pursuing a successful career.
Lactation pod
The lactation pod is among several initiatives implemented by Olam Agri in Ghana to support female employees.
The initiatives include the extension of the maternal policy to four months for female employees, the launch of the "Sparkle your Career Confidence" initiative to inspire young female employees to aspire to great heights within the organisation, as well as special mentorship programmes for female employees, and a comprehensive wellness programme that includes the provision of free PAP tests for women to help in the fight against cervical cancer.
GROW
GROW is a voluntary association of female employees whose core mission is to increase female involvement and promote inclusiveness within the organization.
Since its establishment in 2018, the group has been instrumental in increasing female engagement through various developmental initiatives aimed at promoting an all-inclusive working environment for all employees.
