Ms Vicky Okine, Executive Director of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), on Tuesday appealed to Government, Trade Unions, the private sector and other industrial stakeholders to advocate for the enactment of a Work-Family Balance Policy.

This policy will take into consideration, among other things, Access to Family Health Services such as Family Planning Services, the adoption of Paternity Leave, Flexible Working Arrangements to Child Benefits and Equal Access to Employment for Women.

Ms Okine said, if Ghana enacted a Work-Family Balance Policy, it will demonstrate both government’s commitment to the well-being of families and the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility.

These were contained in a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency in Accra to mark the International Day of Families which has the theme: “Ensuring Work Family Balance”.

The International Day of Families was instituted by the United Nations and is celebrated globally on the 15th of May each year, to provide an opportunity to promote awareness on issues relating to families and increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

Ms Okine said rapid urbanization and the search for better job opportunities outside of one’s hometown had resulted in the weakening of traditional extended family networks that provide care and support for younger and vulnerable family members.

She therefore called for the adoption of the social capital concept which will help instill the values and norms of society, ensure better health care delivery, promote higher educational achievements which will ultimately bring about economic gains for the country as a whole.

She welcomed recent family-related initiatives instituted by the Government such as the Free Family Planning Services Policy announced by the Ministry of Health.

She said Family Planning Services could reduce the number of women who died during child birth by a third; and urged the Government to put in measures to address the inequalities in access to health care and empower women to utilize Family Planning Services.

The Executive Director said her organization will continue to advocate for the reproductive health rights of the poor and disadvantaged groups in under-served communities.

ARHR will also continue to promote social justice particularly in health-related issues by highlighting the social, economic and geographical inequalities in the provision of, and impact of health services.**