Employers urged to support breastfeeding workers

MANILA, Philippines — United Nations agencies for children and labor rights, UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) called for increased support to breastfeeding women in the workplace.

They made this call in commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week on the first week of August.

ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan said that maternity protection in the workplace remains an unfulfilled right. 

“Paid and job-protected maternity leave and adequate maternal and child healthcare are essential to the life, health, safety and economic fulfillment of women and their children,” Hassan said.

“However, discrimination based on maternity persists for many women in the Philippines and across the world," he added.

The agencies highlighted a National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 2019 study that found a decline in labor force participation of women associated with marriage and childbearing. This is said to be worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic where two million mothers left the labor force. 

Given this, the agencies emphasized the importance of implementing breastfeeding policies in the workplace. 

“Breastfeeding is one of the most accessible care policies that can be applied at the workplace. It is a clear measure to help women transition back to work after giving birth,” the statement said. 

The agencies called on employers to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 which mandates support for breastfeeding in the workplace.

The agencies list the following provisions as priority measures: 

• A workplace lactation policy;
• A dedicated lactation/breastfeeding station in the workplace not located within a toilet; 
• Lactation periods that are in addition to the regular time-off for meals; and
• Breastfeeding information that is easily accessible (posters, pamphlets, videos and other resources) or through counseling. 

The agencies emphasized the benefits of breastfeeding “for children, mothers, and society.”

“Breastfeeding protects infants against life-threatening infections, supports healthy brain development in children, and prevents chronic childhood and maternal illness, reducing health care costs,” UNICEF Philippines Deputy Representative Behzad Noubary said.

They also listed the positive impacts of allowing breastfeeding and family-friendly policies in the workplace, such as improving the corporate image of businesses, reducing maternity-related absenteeism and reducing employee turnover rates. —Intern, Ingrid Alexandrea Delgado