AngloGold Ashanti builds baby care center for employee nursing mothers

Global efforts to promote breastfeeding in the workplace and enable nursing mothers to effectively combine work schedules with optimum care for their kids are starting to pay off.

Mining giant AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, has initiated a move to bring relief to nursing mothers by constructing a baby care center, which will provide an opportunity for breastfeeding mothers to concentrate on their jobs while they provide optimum care for their newborn babies.

Women mostly identify work as one of the main reasons for the cessation of exclusive and continued breastfeeding. Earning income can benefit families’ health, nutrition, and financial status, but paid work can also limit women’s time for infant care and feeding.

At the commissioning of the facility in Obuasi to mark International Women's Day, Senior Manager of Human Resources at AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Meshack Baah, said the establishment of the baby care centre is a crucial step towards supporting female employees who become nursing mothers and must deliver on their natural accountabilities as nursing mothers and, at the same time, must deliver on the accountabilities placed on them by their profession at the workplace.

Designed to accommodate kids between 4 months and 12 months, the baby care center is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the babies while their mothers are at work.

"We are therefore proud to partner with the AGA Schools to manage this facility. AGA schools will employ experienced and professional staff who will ensure that each baby receives the highest level of attention and care," Mr. Baah said.

According to the senior manager of human resources, the project is expected to alleviate the stress and worry of finding a trusted nanny and allow employee nursing mothers and fathers to focus on their duties at the workplace, knowing that their babies are well taken care of.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action to accelerate women's equality.

Aside from the baby care center, Mr. Baah said AngloGold Ashanti has instituted several initiatives to create a welcoming and conducive working environment for female nursing mothers.

These include specially designed work uniforms and overalls for female employees to ensure their comfort, the provision of special uniforms for pregnant staff to ensure their safety and comfort at work, as well as the provision of free menstrual disposable sanitary pads for emergency use.

"We have also improved maternity leave, which includes 16 weeks of confinement post-birth from the previous 12 weeks, with nursing mothers with twins or more giving 20 weeks of confinement; a further 4 weeks of unpaid leave may be taken before or after confinement," he said.

The facility, which has been insured, has CCTV cameras to provide 24-hour security, a reception area, a washing area, 3 care rooms to accommodate not more than 6 babies, a washroom, a waiting area, and an eatery.

The Executive Director of AngloGold Ashanti Schools, Simon Peter Atta Cato, commended the management of AngloGold Ashanti for providing a nurturing care center for nursing mothers in their workforce.

As the manager of the baby care center, Mr. Cato assured them that AngloGold Ashanti schools will continue to uphold the core values of respect, integrity, sustainability, excellence, and collaboration that AngloGold Ashanti stands for.