UNICEF HK WELCOMES THE LEGISLATION TO PROTECT BREASTFEEDING WOMEN FROM DISCRIMINATION
2018-06-22
Hong Kong, 22 June 2018 – The Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) welcomes the recommendation put forth by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau on prohibiting discrimination of eastfeeding, and to include expression of milk in the definition of eastfeeding, which was discussed today at the Legislative Council Panel on Constitutional Affairs. UNICEF HK expects the Government to continue to establish appropriate measures such as extended maternity leave, family friendly policy, etc. to protect mothers’ right to eastfeeding.
The Chief Executive of UNICEF HK, Jane Lau, said “In addition to lobbying for legal protection to safeguard mothers’ right to eastfeeding, we hope to cultivate public’s positive attitude towards eastfeeding. We will continue to encourage and engage more sectors to nurture a welcoming environment for mothers to eastfeed anywhere and anytime.”
A survey conducted by UNICEF HK in 2016 showed that 40% of eastfeeding mothers in HK have had unpleasant experiences in public. In view of the lack of support to eastfeeding women in the community, UNICEF HK, in collaboration with the Food and Health Bureau and Department of Health, launched ‘Say Yes to Breastfeeding’ campaign in August 2015 to mobilize different sectors of the community to support eastfeeding mothers.
UNICEF and WHO recommend that mothers should initiate eastfeeding within one hour of birth and sustain exclusive eastfeeding for up to 6 months of age, with continued eastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.
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For more information please contact:Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
Dora Au-yeung, Communication Officer Tel: 2836 2965 Email: [email protected]
About Say Yes to Breastfeeding campaign
Say Yes to Breastfeeding is a community support campaign initiated by UNICEF HK, in collaboration with the Food and Health Bureau and Department of Health in 2015. We aim to educate the public on mothers’ needs for support in the community in order to sustain eastfeeding; to cultivate a positive public attitude towards eastfeeding in the workplace and public place; and to provide mothers with better community support for sustaining eastfeeding. As of May 2018, about 1,200 individuals, corporations, public premises, and transport sectors have pledged to support the campaign.