PHM-Exch> 2014 WABA International Labour Day Statement

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) <waba at waba.org.my>
 2014 WABA International Labour Day Statement

The gender gap in employment has widened during the Global Economic Crisis.
In April 2014  Guy Rider, the ILO Director-General is quoted as saying
*“Inequalities
have widened and the wage share in GDP fallen in many countries, including
the world’s largest economies and female participation rates lag those of
males in all countries.”*

During an economic downturn, women are frequently forced to accept lesser
work and lower pay in order to meet household needs. Furthermore, most
governments have adopted tighter fiscal measures and cut back on public
spending, especially on social programmes, which in turn has a
disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable groups of women. Women’s
employment is often informal and is without legally regulated social
protection.

Women workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding are in need of special
consideration and this has been recognised by the international community
in the form of the *ILO* *Maternity Protection Convention* *C-183(2000)*and its
*Recommendation* *R-191(2000)* that provide a minimum standard of
protection for working mothers during pregnancy, childbirth and the
post-partum period .

In a message at World Breastfeeding Week 2013, Laura Addati, ILO specialist
on Maternity Protection said, *“Combining work and breastfeeding is not
only possible but also essential for both mother and child, as well as for
business and society**...**Global efforts to promote breastfeeding in the
workplace are starting to pay off, with more than 65 per cent of countries
around the world now having some sort of legislation entitling mothers to
either remunerated nursing breaks or a daily reduction of working hours**.*
*”*

Women have a crucial role to play in the development of healthy families,
communities and countries. The UN Millennium Development Goals laid out
ambitious targets to be reached by 2015 including the reduction in child
mortality rates and the improvement of maternal health.

Adequate maternity protection in the workplace is a vital part of gender
equality that in turn, is fundamental to human progress and development.
For example, in 2008, a new target on gender equality was added to the
ambition to eradicate poverty and hunger.

Every woman has the right to balance her productive and reproductive work
without having to sacrifice one for the other.

However, it is of concern that only 28 countries have ratified the *ILO
Maternity Protection Convention C-183 of 2000*, after over a decade.

WABA calls on all governments to ratify *C183 (2000)* and adopt *Recommendation
191(2000)*.

In addition, WABA recommends governments to also ratify *C-189(2011) on
Domestic Workers* and* C-184(2001) on Safety and Health in Agriculture* to
increase the scope of working women covered by protective measures,
considering that most women work in the informal economy and have little,
if any, maternity protection.

In countries where women only have a period of maternity leave, but not the
full scope of maternity benefits, there are measures that responsible
employers can take to support a breastfeeding working mother. In many
countries, employers have taken initiatives to provide facilities for
breastfeeding mothers, thus making it easier for them to combine mothering
with paid employment.

Enlightened employers are willing to wholeheartedly embrace family friendly
policies and in the knowledge that this benefits not only employee and
employer, but has wider positive effects on society. Simple measures such
as providing a lactation room, breastfeeding breaks and flexible working
hours for breastfeeding mothers, go a long way towards creating
family-friendly work environments.
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