Women
WBD: Revisiting The Baby-Friendly Workplace Initiative
Young mothers cuddling their babies in Borno State recently.
Oh! Yes, it is a yearly ritual,
the World Breastfeeding Day is here again, but this time, to reawaken the consciousness of employers of labour to the need to encourage breastfeeding in workplaces.
Although most employers would tell you they have never been against breastfeeding in workplace, but the facts still remain that practically, you cannot be said to encourage a thing when the environment is not made enabling for such a thing to thrive. For nursing mothers to use the company’s rest room as a place to breastfeed their young ones, is to say the least, an over discouragement of a culture.
Breastfeeding is a fundamental right of a child. This premise makes the duo inseparable especially within the first six months of delivery and stronger still as the world health organisation harps on the need for exclusive breastfeeding.
The need to breastfeed and be breastfed is made imperative by virtue of what the practice offers to both the giver (mother) and the receiver (child). However, for suspected lack of knowledge, most mothers have lost their jobs for lack of harmony between retaining their jobs and their early responsibility to their newborn while others chose the option of retaining their job at the expense of their primary responsibility to their new born. Those who choose to play the fast one, by returning to work after one or two months of delivery hardly put in their best at work nor serve their babies adequately.
The privately owned instutions of learning especially at the primary and secondary levels are culpable in this regard as they would not pay their female employees after two months of maternity leave. A gesture that simply means “resume duty or lose your pay”, even where the job position is not threatened, the fact that a nursing mother, who by every standard, deserves a better nourishment by way of feeding to recover the losses in child birth, stands a risk of losing her monthly pay, is enough threat to faithfully carrying out her duty and obligation to her new born.
Organisers of the World Breastfeeding Week is of the opinion that this gap can be closed by simply creating a space for mothers to breastfeeding week are of the opinion that this gap can be closed by simply creating a space for mothers to breastfeeding their newborns when necessary. A Creche in a workplace is all that is needed to keep a working mother at home in her workplace so she could be optimally utilised while still breastfeeding her baby.
However, the benefit of a paid parental leave is weighed alongside the provision of criche for early resumption of duty, far outweigh the later. Research has shown that it correlates with lower infant mortality rates and it actually increases the chances of a mother returning to the workplace and staying on board with higher productivity rates. Rather than indicating any significant negative impact on the job and the employer, it is revealed to save time and cost associated with recruiting and hiring new employees to replace the new mothers.
All the same, employers who appreciate the role of the nursing mothers in societal development, and the need to encourage them, are beginning to pick up on the advantages of paid leave.
According to Patricia Garcia, a social analyst and writer, “Google began offering its female employees up to five months paid maternity leave, in an effort to keep women from resigning after starting a family.
“So far, California provides new mothers with up to six weeks of pay at approximately 55 per cent of their usual salary. The state of New Jersey, through its family leave insurance programme, offers the same amount of time, paying out two-third of a woman’s wages.
… that is a start but we still have a long way to go she said.
On the local scene, Enugu State and Lagos State now grant six months maternity leave as a proof of their support for exclusive breastfeeding. It is expected that in not so long a time, other states will see reason to give nursing mothers a good time to give their new born the nutrition they deserve.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.
