Breastfeeding a child is an uncontested action and each and every individual agrees to the fact that it is advantageous to both the child and the mother. However, the bone of contention is the fact that the members of the society tend to have varying opinions on the matter of breastfeeding the child in public. The main issue that causes the individuals to consider breastfeeding in public is the fact that a section of individuals tends to over sexualize the female breast and a glimpse of it is considered to be immoral or indecent (Komodoki, 2014). Due to this, breastfeeding mothers tend to be victims of harassment and mistreatment by the members of the society who tend to be against the act of one breastfeeding in public. This essay will address the fact that although various actions and steps have been taken in order to be able to protect mothers from these forms of discrimination, lactating mothers are still victims of harassment and mistreatment.
Research has been able to show that breastfeeding is advantageous in one way or the other. Breast milk has been found to contain antibodies which help in bettering the child’s immune system and further help in improving their health. In addition to this, breast milk has been realized to contain low fats, which help reduce the likelihood of the child being a victim of some illnesses such as obesity, heart failure and respiratory diseases (International Labor Organization, 2011). From the fact that children always require to be fed regularly, and this causes a problem due to the fact that the child might require to be fed in open areas which prompts the mother to have to breastfeed him or her and hence this may not augur well with the other members of the public.
Other than breast feeding being advantageous to the child, it is considered to be further advantageous to not only them, but helps to strengthen the bond between the child and the mother. However, this bond in most instances is only created in instances that the mother breastfeeds the child while she maintains eye-contact and communicates with the child (Amir, 2014). However, in a bid to avert the discrimination and harassment due to her breastfeeding the child, she might decide to cover her child with a napkin, nursing cover or go to a place that she is secluded in order to breastfeed her child (Valaitis, 2016). Due to go to these lengths, she will be unable to maintain eye contact with the child or further having a problem in terms of her health due to her having to sit in an uncomfortable position in order to ‘decently’ breastfeed her child (Amir, 2014).
Various measures have been taken in order to be able to tackle the issue and further allow the mother to breastfeed their children without fear. These measures include;
Firstly, various governments have in place statutes and rules which protect the mothers and further allow them to breastfeed in public(International Labor Organization, 2011). The Human Rights Act provides protection of individuals from any kind of discrimination based on gender. The harassment of a mother due to her breastfeeding her child may be considered as sexual discrimination hence warrants prosecution (Human Rights Commission, 2005). This is since, the Human rights Act allows for mothers to be allowed to be breastfeed in public places, from government offices to the public transportation.
In addition to this, various states and countries have in place laws which protect a mother from any form of discrimination. For example, 45 states in the United States have in place laws that allow women to breast feed their children in any public or private places. Other than these states which expressly provide for the mothers to have the right to breastfeed their children in public, other states have in place laws which in one way or another allow for a mother to breastfeed her child. For example, the 28 states which exempt public breastfeeding from the public decency laws in turn how that they tend to allow for the mother to publicly breastfeed her child(International Labor Organization, 2011). In addition to this, 24 states have in place laws which allow for the mother to breastfeed her child at the work place. These laws are not only in the United States, but also in various countries globally, for example, Britain, Canada and Netherlands have in place statutes which allow for mothers to publicly nurse their children. In the Asian and African countries, tend to be more receptive of the action of mothers publicly breastfeeding their children, but the attitude of differs depending on the specific geographical location (Komodiki, 2014).
Secondly, measures have been taken in order to educate the individuals on the issue of breastfeeding in public have been taken in order to be able to help change the perspective of the general public on the issue of public breastfeeding. For example, various states have in place campaigns which are meant to create awareness on the issue of breastfeeding and help change the perception of the general public. These campaigns may be conducted by either the government or the non-governmental organizations. The “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” campaign is one of the projects which are intended to help combat the issue of stigmatization of public breastfeeding.This campaign was intended to encourage the business owners to have stickers that allow mothers to breastfeed their children at their premises (Amir, 2014).
All these measures have been carried in order to enable the mother to be able to nurse for her child without fear that she may be attacked or embarrassed by an individual who claims that whatever, she is doing, is not decent. However, various cases have been reported over and over about women who have been harassed or intimidated due to them breastfeeding their children in public. For example, in 2014 a lady in the UK was forced by the manager of to cover her child with a napkin as she breastfed her child at the hotel (Amir, 2014). Even though, the UK has laws which allow for mothers to publicly breastfeed their children, she was still harassed. In another incident, a lady who was swimming was told by the attendant to be more decent as she was breastfeeding her child in the open (Doshier, 2015) while the manager of a store refused to give a lactating mother a break in order for her to go breastfeed her child even though the federal law provided that the employers should have in place measures which will allow for the mother to have ample time and space to breastfeed her child and further provide for areas they can breastfeed their children other than the washrooms. So the question that one might ask is, “what is the best way of tackling this matter once and for all?”
In order to adequately breastfeed their children in the open, the best way is to change the society’s take on the issue. The main problems were brought about by the fact that a percentage of the society considers that the act of publicly breastfeeding the child is an act of indecency (Komodiki, 2014). This as earlier seen is due to the fact that they have over sexualized the female breast and this in turn means that they consider that is should always be covered at all times. Due to this, the individuals tend to consider the female milk a secretion which is ‘dirty’, as it may be likened to the urine or the reproduction fluids. With this mentality even if the government has in place the laws which are meant to protect the mothers, it will be difficulty in ensuring it is followed to the latter. So in order to change the mentality of the individuals, the major step that should be taken is educating the member of the public and helping them change their perception on this matter(Komodiki, 2014)..
Lastly, the mothers should in most instances have be discrete in the areas she decides to breast feed her baby. This discretion will help the mothers to help avert these awkward situations. For example, with the mothers knowing that the matter does not augur well with everybody in the society, the mother should at places like hotels and the malls should try to either leave the table and seek a room that they is less crowded and breastfeed her child.
In conclusion, the truth on the ground is that legislations have been enacted in order to protect the mothers from being discriminated upon pertaining to the issue of publicly breastfeeding her child, but instances of harassment and discrimination are still reported. So the best step in order to avert this issue, discretion on the part of the mother and understanding on the side of the other individuals is required in order to change their perception on the issue of publicly breastfeeding her children.
References
Amir, L. H. (2014). Breastfeeding in public: “You can do it?”. International Breastfeeding Journal, 1-3
Doshier, M. (2015).The Effects of Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding in Public: Looking at
Nursing Nooks. California: California Polytechnic State University.
Human Rights Commission. (2005, December 14). Your rights as a breastfeeding Mother. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from Human Rights Commission: https://www.hrc.co.nz/files/5314/2378/0071/14-Dec-2005_16-09-38_breastfeeding_flyer_English.pdf
International Labour Organization.(2011, May).Breastfeeding laws. Retrieved June 20,
2016, from International Labour Organization:
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/travail/docs/1728/Breastfeeding%20Laws.pdf
Komodiki E, K. A. (2014). Breastfeeding in Public: A Global Review of Different
Attitude towards it. Journal of Pediatrics& Neonatal Care, 1-4
Valaitis, R. (2016, January 27). Women's Experiences Breastfeeding in Public Places. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from Human Lactation: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11513183_Women's_Experiences_Breastfeeding_in_Public_Places
