"Each year, World Breastfeeding Week
(WBW) takes up an important theme to help protect, promote and support breastfeeding. This year, the Week focuses on breastfeeding as a human right. Each year new research reveals
ever more clearly that it is not possible for infants and their mothers to achieve optimal health unless the conditions exist that allow women to practice exclusive breastfeeding for about six months and to continue breastfeeding
while providing adequate complementary foods up to two years of life and beyond. Thus breastfeeding is a right of mothers and is a fundamental component in assuring a child’s right to food, health and care.
Women and children are subjects of human rights, not objects of charity. Breastfeeding is part of fundamental human rights: the right to food and to health.
Breastmilk is the best food for infants. It provides a nutritionally balanced food for children, reducing the chance that they get certain diseases, including diarrhea, and infections of the respiratory tract infections (including
pneumonia), ear, and urinary tract. The act of breastfeeding is an essential component of food child care, contributing to healthy growth and psychosocial development.
Breastfeeding also contributes to every woman’s right to health by reducing her risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer, iron deficiency
anemia, and hip fracture.
The goals are:
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to raise awareness about the fact that breastfeeding is a right;
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to provide information about formal and legal mechanisms that exist internationally and either do or should exist at national level;
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to stimulate a shift in public thinking so that this right is respected, protected, facilitated and fulfilled at household, community and government levels in every country.
International Instruments:
Every woman has the right to breastfeed her child. Most governments have legally obliged themselves to fulfill the rights contained in one or more of these international agreements:
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Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC),
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Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(CESCR),
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Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW),
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ILO Convention on Maternity Protection, and
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International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes.
In addition, there are many relevant laws and regulations in every country.
Know your rights—and assert them! Look out for the coming WBW 2000 action folder for ideas. In the meantime...
Start acting now!
Most women do breastfeed when there is sufficient information and support. If women do not get the support they need, there are a number of things that can be done:
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Find out if your country has ratified the above international instruments.
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Find out if measures are taken to support women, such as maternity protection laws, implementation of the International Code of Marketing
of Breast-milk Substitutes, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and
good prenatal care.
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Contact your Ministry of Labour and ask if your country is considering ratifying the new ILO Maternity Protection Convention. Ensure that the breastfeeding rights of working women are supported by your
government and employers.
What is a human right?
Human rights are those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity. Human rights are held by
all persons equally, universally, and forever. Human rights are interdependent: all human rights are part of a
complementary framework. For example, your ability to participate in your government is directly affected by
your right to express yourself, to get an education, and even to obtain the necessities of life. (Source: Human
Rights USA)
SPONSORSHIP: WABA does not accept sponsorship of any kind from companies producing breastmilk substitutes, related equipment and complementary foods. WABA encourages all participants of World
Breastfeeding Week to respect and follow this ethical stance.
Be sure to visit one of the PHFE-WIC information
breastfeeding fairs in Los
Angeles County, click here for more details.
