3 August 2023
Breastfeeding is one of the society can make in children’s and women's health and survival. Despite a large body of evidence that underscores the benefits of breastfeeding and points to necessary interventions, breastfeeding rates have not improved much over the last few decades. In fact, breastfeeding is on the decline in some regions. The cost of not breastfeeding is enormous, impacting individuals, families and communities.
Women continue to face the challenge of balancing breastfeeding and work. In traditional extended family settings, female relatives step in to share domestic and household tasks. In recent years, men have assumed a more active role in supporting the mother-infant breastfeeding dyad, resulting in improved breastfeeding rates. The concept of both parents sharing responsibility for domestic and care work, including breastfeeding, is gaining momentum and should be supported at the societal level.
One of the most common reasons that breastfeeding is curtailed earlier than is is the necessity of women to return to work and/or the lack support they receive in the workplace. Maternity leave is critical to enabling early, exclusive and continued breastfeeding. Longer maternity leave is associated with . For each additional month of paid maternity leave, infant mortality is reduced by 13 per cent.
Approximately half of the world’s countries fulfil the three key requirements of the : they provide for at least 14 weeks of leave, at a rate of at least two thirds of previous earnings, paid by social insurance or public funds. Unfortunately, this leaves . About 50 countries do not provide the right to breastfeeding breaks, and most of the countries that do only allow breaks for six months, despite the recommendation that breastfeeding continue for two or more years following birth. Almost two thirds of fathers live in countries where they do not have the right to paternity leave that would enable them to bond with their child and support the breastfeeding mother. Parental leave, which is currently available in 68 of 185 countries, is recommended after maternity leave by the ILO maternity protection standards, and it can help close the gender gap. Further unmet needs for maternity and parental social protection include the exclusion of certain categories of workers, lack of adequate remuneration for leave, and anti-discrimination legislation. All these factors affect the uptake of existing maternity and parental protection.
Establishing and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding requires that all working mothers have access to at least 18 weeks, and preferably 6 months or more, of paid maternity leave. At least 15 days or more of paternity leave would enable fathers to support the breastfeeding dyad. Both parents need information on the advantages and management of breastfeeding, and on their entitlements to maternity, paternity and parental leave. If parents are when they return to work, they are more likely to be able to ensure that their infants and young children continue with breastfeeding.
Once a mother returns to work, the provision of , storage facilities, breastfeeding breaks and access to childcare can help her continue breastfeeding for as long as she chooses. The provision of breastfeeding rooms and breastfeeding breaks are low-cost interventions that can become part of a family-friendly policy with several benefits for the workplace. Becoming a can reduce employee absenteeism and increase employee return-to-work rates, job satisfaction and retention. Further results include increased productivity, competitive edge and cost-savings associated with a healthier workplace. Breastfeeding rates can also improve.
Other important provisions for working parents include flexible working arrangements, when possible, to enable mothers to breastfeed and their partners to help with childcare and support breastfeeding. Anti-discrimination and job protection provisions are also hugely important, in addition to an environment that is supportive of breastfeeding.
As the return to work can be challenging, providing breastfeeding counselling and support both antenatally and postnatally will help working mothers overcome common challenges and build their skills and confidence. This support could be provided or made accessible through health departments within the workplace, or access to support groups or lactation consultants.
Key advocacy points include the following:
- Advocate for improved paid maternity, paternity and parental leave at the national level to support exclusive and continued breastfeeding.
- Provide technical assistance to national Governments and employers to develop, strengthen and implement breastfeeding-friendly workplace policies for all categories of workers, including those employed in the informal sector.
- Assist in the mobilization of capacity and resources to implement, monitor and enforce legislation and policies that support breastfeeding in the context of work.
- Develop and disseminate advocacy tools to showcase best practices that can inspire other workplaces and policymakers.
- Collaborate with trade unions and other national organizations to advocate for enhanced parental social protection that supports breastfeeding.
The (WABA) coordinates the annual global World Breastfeeding Week campaign, which takes place primarily during the first week of August. The theme of (#WBW2023) focuses on breastfeeding and employment or work. The global campaign slogan is “”. It aims to show the effects of paid leave, workplace support and emerging parenting breastfeeding norms as parents themselves see them. Target audiences, including governments, policymakers, health sectors, employers, communities and parents will all see that they have critical roles in empowering families and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments. The United Nations version of the campaign—"”—focuses on improving maternity rights and breastfeeding.
Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2023!
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