2023 WBW: Workplace challenges, responsible for early cessation of breastfeeding – UNICEF
By Sule Sani
The United Nations Children’s Fund has described the workplace challenges to breastfeeding as one of the primary factors responsible for the early cessation of breastfeeding.
This was revealed by the Communication Officer of Bauchi State UNICEF Field Office, Opeyemi Olagunju at the Media Dialogue organised by UNICEF Nigeria held at Azare in Katagum LGA of the State.
The annual activity with the theme ” Enabling Breastfeeding- Making a Difference for Working Parents”, was designed to bring public and political attention to the importance of breastfeeding.
The 2023 WBW also aimed to raise awareness about the interplay between workplace breastfeeding and promoting exclusive breastfeeding and growing healthy children.
Opeyemi Olagunju explained that Breastfeeding requires time, space, and concentration, and also women require sufficient time and support to breastfeed successfully, noting that for working mothers, juggling between tasks and breastfeeding may be nearly often impossible, hence the need for the extension of paid maternity leave to six (6) months.
“For working parents, this may sometimes be challenging as they need to scamper between breastfeeding their children and carrying out their official tasks. Working mothers, who wish to practice EBF (for 6 months) may find it difficult, especially as most, if not all, workplaces do not have breastfeeding spaces or creche,” he added.
Mr Olagunju further stressed the need to promote policies that encourage breastfeeding, such as paid maternity leave for six (6) months, flexible return-to-work options, regular lactation breaks during working hours, and adequate facilities that will enable mothers to continue exclusive breastfeeding for six (6) months.
He maintained that the WBW is celebrated every year to reiterate the importance of breastfeeding for children, mothers, and socio-economic development, noting that breast milk is the first vaccine for every child and the mainstay for safeguarding infants against life-threatening infections.
He said it also supports optimal brain development in children, especially in the first one thousand (1,000) days as well as ultimately lowers healthcare costs.
” We understand that optimal infant feeding is a cornerstone for human capital development, while poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices bear major risks to child survival and socio-economic growth,” Olagunju says.
Opeyemi Olagunju, however, called for the states and LG civil service to urgently implement the recently adopted second maternity entitlement provision by the federal civil service which is a sixteen week maternity leave with full pay and two hours off each day to breastfeed up to six months after the employee resumes duty.
Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office advocated that mothers, especially those that are working must be encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their children for six months.
Also speaking, a member representing Sade Constituency at the Bauchi State House of Assembly and Chairman House Committee on Health, Hon. Lawal Dauda promised to fast track the passage of a bill to enact the law to extend maternity leave from three months to six months in the state.
During the occasion, participants embarked on a field trip to interact with the public at various PHCs in Azare, Misau, and Bulkachuwa among others.
