- In commemoration of International Men’s Day 2024, The Benchmark celebrates Chinonso Ogbogu’s active support for nursing mothers and young parents at Sabi Writers.
Returning to work is daunting for many nursing mothers, especially when trusting their child’s care to strangers. Heartbreaking accounts from mothers on Reddit expose the harsh reality of inadequate daycare facilities. One mother described her experience with a highly recommended daycare:
“It was pretty much a daily occurrence to walk in and see a child having a meltdown being actively ignored by staff … On our last day, a new kid was crying, and no one was comforting him – it broke my heart.”
Another mother, a daycare worker herself, revealed, “They get in trouble for not eating their food at lunch or struggling with potty training… Babies older than 12 months are still swaddled because ‘they wake up too much’ during our THREE-HOUR nap.”
These struggles resonate profoundly with millions of families. In 2023, about two-fifths of all families included children under age 18. With at least one parent employed in 91.9% of these families, balancing work and childcare is overwhelming. Nursing mothers face a more significant challenge. In 2023, their labour force participation rate was 74.0%, with 68.9% of mothers with children under six participating.
How Chinonso Ogbigu is tacking childcare problems for Sabi Writers staff
The lack of quality childcare has far-reaching consequences, particularly for women, compromising their ability to bond with their babies during critical early years. Globally, nearly 350 million children and families lack access to childcare, disproportionately affecting women. Many young women in Burkina Faso, for instance, hide their children and pregnancies due to fear of disqualification from employment.
Against this backdrop, Chinonso Ogbogu, CEO of Sabi Writers, is taking steps to address the childcare crisis. After graduating from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2011, He established Sabi Writers, a successful writing solutions company. As his staff grew professionally and personally, he noticed their challenges in balancing work and family life.
Recently, he announced plans to open an on-site crèche for Sabi Writers staff. “I surprised my staff when I officially announced that we’re setting up a crèche for all staff members,” He shared in his LinkedIn post. “Whether as a young mum or dad in Sabi Writers, you now have a place your baby can stay while you work.”
By providing childcare, Chinonso Ogbogu supports his employees’ well-being. He enables working mothers to pursue their careers without sacrificing family time, which drives economic growth, gender equality, and better workforce productivity.
The call for family-friendly workplaces
Governments and businesses must prioritize childcare to address the childcare crisis fully. UNICEF advocates for redesigning workplaces to enable parents to give their children the best start in life while boosting productivity and women’s empowerment. This comprehensive approach includes providing sufficient paid leave, supporting breastfeeding, offering affordable, quality childcare and early education, and extensive support through child benefits and adequate wages.
Implementing family-friendly policies can have profound impacts. According to a 2015 report by McKinsey, Women’s equal participation in the workforce could add $12 trillion to the global economy by 2025. The World Bank notes that high-quality childcare drives multi-generational impacts, improving women’s employment, business productivity, family welfare, and child development.
As Ogbogu’s initiative demonstrates, businesses can play a vital role in addressing the childcare crisis, empowering women to thrive in the workforce.
