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Breastfeeding is a fundamental right for mothers and babies, and its protection is essential to promoting the health and optimal development of young children.
The benefits of breastfeeding are extensive and well documented.
The benefits of breastfeeding are extensive and well documented. Mothers who breastfeed their babies have a lower risk of developing cancer. breast and ovarian cancer, as well as diabetes and overweight or obesity. Furthermore, breastfeeding protects children against infectious diseases and contributes to the proper development of intelligence and oral health.
Breastfeeding rates around the world are worryingly low.
Despite these benefits, breastfeeding rates worldwide are worryingly low. Only about 45% of babies initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, and only two out of five children under six months are exclusively breastfed. These figures demonstrate the urgent need to implement policies and measures that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in the workplace.
Legislation is an effective way to ensure breastfeeding in the workplace.
One of the most effective ways to ensure breastfeeding in the workplace is through legislation that provides mothers with paid maternity leave of at least 18 weeks, preferably extended to more than six months. Furthermore, it is crucial that employers provide paid time off and a dedicated space for breastfeeding or pumping milk after this period. This will allow mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies even after returning to work.
It is necessary to eliminate barriers that may affect those who work in the informal sector or with limited contracts.
To protect maternity rights and ensure all women have access to them, barriers that may affect those working in the informal sector or on limited contracts must be removed. Discrimination against women in the workplace related to pregnancy and childbirth must also be addressed and eradicated.
Benefits of breastfeeding: The importance for the baby and the mother
Effective implementation and monitoring of regulatory measures to protect, promote and support breastfeeding are essential.
Effective implementation and monitoring of regulatory measures to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding are essential. This includes following the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, promoting baby-friendly hospitals, and adopting maternity rights policies in line with International Labor Organization (ILO) recommendations.
This year's World Breastfeeding Week focuses on the central role that maternity rights policies play in protecting and promoting breastfeeding in the workplace.
In this context, this year's World Breastfeeding Week focuses on the central role that maternity rights policies play in protecting and promoting breastfeeding in the workplace. By taking large-scale action and committing to maternal and child well-being, we can achieve the global goal of increasing exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life to at least 50% of women by 2025. Protecting breastfeeding is a vital step toward a healthier and more equitable society for mothers and children.