Allowing mothers to breathe a sigh of relief, the Health Ministry’s Family Health Bureau (FHB) said that Covid-19 infected mothers and vaccinated mothers can breastfeed their children through safe methods, marking the start of National Breastfeeding Week (NBW) yesterday (1).
The NBW is celebrated locally when the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), a global campaign dedicated to raise awareness about breastfeeding, which is being held from 1-7 August this year. It has been celebrated annually since as far back as 1992, and since 2016, it has been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN).
Sri Lanka is a nation that celebrates mothers and motherhood, and Sri Lankan culture has assigned a bigger value to motherhood than to fatherhood. In 2017, the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard – a report issued by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that assessed breastfeeding practices in 194 countries – said that Sri Lanka was among 23 countries that have exclusive breastfeeding rates. Also, according to reports, 82% of mothers in the country breastfeed their children.
However, most Sri Lankans respect the concept of breastfeeding only when it is done behind closed doors, and it does not receive the same respect when mothers do it in public. Facing difficulties when breastfeeding in public places is a reality that Sri Lankan women have experienced for a very long time. It is predominantly because of two reasons: The majority of public places lack adequate, dedicated facilities for mothers to breastfeed their child when the need arises, and a level of stigma is associated with mothers who choose to breastfeed their children in public places.
Resolving the issue of lack of facilities in public places is primarily the Government’s responsibility, but even though some members of the Government have talked about introducing progressive measures to address the situation, it remains unknown as to how many people actually enjoy the benefits of these programmes. In fact, early this year, Justice Minister Ali Sabry PC admitted that there were no provisions for breastfeeding mothers in the country’s court system, and said that he was determined to ensure that there is no discrimination or bar against such mothers who are trying to access justice. He made this statement in response to an incident faced by MP Hirunika Premachandra, who could not appear in court for a case on time because she had to breastfeed her child in her vehicle.
However, there is little evidence to suggest that the Justice Minister’s promises were fulfilled. Even if he did do as promised, the country’s legal system represents only a minor portion of the entire public service; therefore, a much bigger change is necessary.
However, the lack of facilities is not the major issue here, even though it too is a necessity. If we ask ourselves why such special facilities are needed, the first answer would be the stigma surrounding mothers who choose to breastfeed in public. We must ask ourselves how and why such a stigma has developed in a country like Sri Lanka, that ostensibly reveres mothers and motherhood. Breastfeeding is an extremely basic activity common to almost all mammals – there is nothing new, abnormal, or particularly interesting about it. The only thing we, as a society, can and should do is to ensure that there are facilities in public places for mothers to breastfeed their children, and that they are not frowned upon for needing to do something extremely natural. We also need to understand that providing facilities is not an endeavour that requires a lot of resources or special equipment – all it requires is a small, covered space.
In this context, it is probably high time we pay more attention to ensuring that public places have facilities for mothers to breastfeed their children. However, since the way people view breastfeeding in public is an inseparable factor in this matter, raising awareness could also considerably help in addressing this situation. This is an issue that needs inexpensive facilities, and a simple, yet firm reminder to the public that breastfeeding is a normal act.Facilitating their need to feed
01 Aug 2021
Facilitating their need to feed
01 Aug 2021
Allowing mothers to breathe a sigh of relief, the Health Ministry’s Family Health Bureau (FHB) said that Covid-19 infected mothers and vaccinated mothers can breastfeed their children through safe methods, marking the start of National Breastfeeding Week (NBW) yesterday (1).
The NBW is celebrated locally when the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), a global campaign dedicated to raise awareness about breastfeeding, which is being held from 1-7 August this year. It has been celebrated annually since as far back as 1992, and since 2016, it has been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN).
Sri Lanka is a nation that celebrates mothers and motherhood, and Sri Lankan culture has assigned a bigger value to motherhood than to fatherhood. In 2017, the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard – a report issued by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that assessed breastfeeding practices in 194 countries – said that Sri Lanka was among 23 countries that have exclusive breastfeeding rates. Also, according to reports, 82% of mothers in the country breastfeed their children.
However, most Sri Lankans respect the concept of breastfeeding only when it is done behind closed doors, and it does not receive the same respect when mothers do it in public. Facing difficulties when breastfeeding in public places is a reality that Sri Lankan women have experienced for a very long time. It is predominantly because of two reasons: The majority of public places lack adequate, dedicated facilities for mothers to breastfeed their child when the need arises, and a level of stigma is associated with mothers who choose to breastfeed their children in public places.
Resolving the issue of lack of facilities in public places is primarily the Government’s responsibility, but even though some members of the Government have talked about introducing progressive measures to address the situation, it remains unknown as to how many people actually enjoy the benefits of these programmes. In fact, early this year, Justice Minister Ali Sabry PC admitted that there were no provisions for breastfeeding mothers in the country’s court system, and said that he was determined to ensure that there is no discrimination or bar against such mothers who are trying to access justice. He made this statement in response to an incident faced by MP Hirunika Premachandra, who could not appear in court for a case on time because she had to breastfeed her child in her vehicle.
However, there is little evidence to suggest that the Justice Minister’s promises were fulfilled. Even if he did do as promised, the country’s legal system represents only a minor portion of the entire public service; therefore, a much bigger change is necessary.
However, the lack of facilities is not the major issue here, even though it too is a necessity. If we ask ourselves why such special facilities are needed, the first answer would be the stigma surrounding mothers who choose to breastfeed in public. We must ask ourselves how and why such a stigma has developed in a country like Sri Lanka, that ostensibly reveres mothers and motherhood. Breastfeeding is an extremely basic activity common to almost all mammals – there is nothing new, abnormal, or particularly interesting about it. The only thing we, as a society, can and should do is to ensure that there are facilities in public places for mothers to breastfeed their children, and that they are not frowned upon for needing to do something extremely natural. We also need to understand that providing facilities is not an endeavour that requires a lot of resources or special equipment – all it requires is a small, covered space.
In this context, it is probably high time we pay more attention to ensuring that public places have facilities for mothers to breastfeed their children. However, since the way people view breastfeeding in public is an inseparable factor in this matter, raising awareness could also considerably help in addressing this situation. This is an issue that needs inexpensive facilities, and a simple, yet firm reminder to the public that breastfeeding is a normal act.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!