Both the mother and the child will experience long-term health advantages from breastfeeding. Every year, the first week of August is designated as “World Breastfeeding Week.” “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” is the theme for World nursing Week 2023.
The emphasis of the campaign this year is on encouraging behaviors that can assist breastfeeding at work in various nations. A child’s healthy growth and development are greatly aided by breastfeeding. It has antibodies that assist develop a strong immune system in children at a young age and shield them from illnesses and infections.
Essential maternity protections are not provided by national legislation for more than a billion working women. Employers are only required in 20% of nations to give workers paid breaks and access to facilities for breastfeeding or lactation. Less than half of infants less than 6 months receive breastfeeding exclusively.
Many countries have made tremendous progress in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates during the last decade. However, far more progress may be made if breastfeeding is protected and promoted, particularly in the workplace.
This World Breastfeeding Week, under the theme “Let’s Make Breastfeeding at Work Work,” SWT is emphasizing the need for increased breastfeeding support across all workplaces in order to sustain and improve global breastfeeding rates.
When breastfeeding is supported, safeguarded, and promoted, advancement is possible.
But in order to meet the global target of 70% by 2030, the hurdles that women and families encounter in achieving their breastfeeding goals must be addressed.
Places of employment that are supportive are essential. Research suggests that while breastfeeding rates for women decline dramatically when they return to work, this negative impact can be reversed when organizations make it easier for moms to continue breastfeeding their newborns.
Policies at work that promote family-friendly environments, such as paid maternity leave, nursing breaks, and a room where moms can nurse or express milk, benefit not only working women and their families, but also employers.
These policies create economic rewards by lowering maternity-related absenteeism, improving female worker retention, and lowering the costs of hiring and training new employees.
Breastfeeding is the ultimate infant survival and development intervention from the beginning of a kid’s existence.
Breastfeeding prevents babies from common infectious diseases and strengthens children’s immune systems, while also supplying the essential nutrients children require to grow and develop to their full potential.
Babies who are not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before their first birthday than exclusively breastfed babies.
Breastfeeding support in the workplace benefits moms, babies, and organizations, which is why SWT is urging governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to increase efforts to:
- Provide sufficient paid leave to all working parents and caregivers to meet the needs of their young children.
- Guarantee an enabling breastfeeding environment for all working mothers, including those in the informal sector or on temporary contracts, by providing access to facilities that allow mothers to continue breastfeeding their children once they return to work.
- Enhance investments in breastfeeding support policies and programs in all settings, including a national policy and program that governs and encourages public and private sector support for breastfeeding women in work environments. This includes paid maternity leave for at least 18 weeks, preferably for a period of six months or more after birth.
