Old Mutual Kenya has increased maternity leave for staff from three months to four months to promote gender equality and create a conducive working environment.
Staff who also experience child loss will also benefit from the extension.
Further, the company has also increased paternity leave from two weeks to one month so that staff can support their partners.
Speaking during the Old Mutual Women Network (OWN) breakfast event, the Group’s Human Capital Executive East Africa, Nkirote Njiru noted that the company recognizes the differences in motherhood for women and the support they need.
“Our new measures are designed to create a supportive environment for all our staff and promote gender equality,” she said.
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A diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging policy will be created by the Group in order to advance equity and equality for all.
Age, religion, talents, and people with disabilities will all be taken into account by the policy as it works to advance gender equality beyond the recruiting stage.
Patron of OWN East Africa Anne Nyamu said that this month's episode presents an interesting opportunity to examine how gender dynamics have been impacted by technology.
“As aligned with this year’s IWD theme, we shall host a tech extravaganza series, which will see women in tech sharing their experiences and the opportunities in this space that we can leverage to better our productivity,” she said.
OWN was created in 2016 to provide women with a forum to share, connect, and develop themselves in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
The program was created around, coaching and mentoring, community outreach, networking, diversity and inclusivity, care and sharing, and empowerment in business acumen.
