Cape Coast, Nov. 16, GNA - Mr Emmanuel Kweenu Bodai, Central Regional Director of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on Tuesday called for an extension of maternity leave from three to six months.

He said this is necessary to allow nursing mothers have to exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months. Mr Bodai made the call at a day's workshop on "women rights about certain discriminatory laws and harmful traditional practices", organised by the regional secretariat of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) at Cape Coast.

He also called for the provision of more pre-school facilities for working mothers other woman, whose children are below school going age, to enable them have enough time to realise their full potentials. Mr Bodai commended the government for suggesting that pre-school be made part of the educational system in the country.

Mrs Cecilia Adu, an educationist and queen mother, urged women to stop all forms of practices that are harmful and discriminatory and stressed that it was time for women to move ahead in development. She charged parents to develop a harmonious relationship with their children to ensure that they freely discuss their problems with them. The regional focal person of the NCWD, Mrs Monica Fogah also noted that problems women face, was mainly due to ignorance and urged women to endeavour to upgrade themselves.