The International Finance Corporation together with government will soon be carrying out a childcare study in several local companies.
IFC Vice President, Nena Stoiljkovic says this is aimed at ensuring that women in the workforce are more productive and efficient.
Stoiljkovic says their global reports have seen that women are more likely than men to bear childcare responsibilities and the lack of childcare is a barrier to women’s full and equal participation in paid work.
She adds that this will also provide them with the solutions needed.
”We have evidence through some of our global work that women tend to be more present, more productive, more efficient when they have a peace of mind and if their kids are well taken care of. We also want to reiterate that not all companies need the same solution. We’re working in many different areas to support women as employees, women as leaders and women as business owners, entrepreneurs and in this particular case in Fiji we are focusing on childcare and the way how that will support women employees.”
She stressed that when companies support childcare, their staff tend to be more productive which in turn boost profits.
For employers, the lack of good quality and affordable childcare for their employees can translate into higher turnover and absenteeism, lower productivity, and difficulty recruiting skilled employees.
