Former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has stated that working mothers in the civil service sector must be granted special incentives in order to boost productivity.
Speaking in the closing ceremony of the second Civil Service Conference today, Dr. Waheed said for women to be able to properly function in the workplace, they have to be at ease over the question of the status of their families. He said women were primary caregivers and issues at home creates an imbalance.
"When we talk about incentives, the biggest civil service contributors are women. Majority of papers submitted to the symposium were from women. But women face bigger challenges, with their responsibilities as primary caregivers to children," Dr. Waheed said.
He said that women have to provided assistance, allowing them to clear time from their schedules to attend the home front. Dr. Waheed said that it was vital that women, especially mothers were provided with time and assistance.
"If women were constantly preoccupied with the situation at home, they cannot achieve work balance. When we talk about incentives, we have to remember the children. Their mothers play the biggest role in their development. I hope that while civil service incentives for children are being introduced, additional incentives will be arranged," Dr. Waheed said.
Dr. Waheed said the Government had initiated many reforms to raise the pay for civil servants, including the housing scheme.
