The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has expressed strong concern over the inadequate facilities and absence of supportive policies for breastfeeding mothers within professional environments.
In an Opening Remark, UNICEF’s Enugu Field Chief, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, Discusses Workplace Support for Breastfeeding Mothers with Media Representatives from 12 States During World Breastfeeding Week.
The discussion highlighted the necessity of employers offering flexible work options, such as extended maternity leave, part-time or remote work, and dedicated breastfeeding areas to ensure mothers can breastfeed with dignity and ease. This was a key focus of the meeting, themed “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” which stressed the importance of breast milk for children’s survival, growth, and healthy development.
She stressed that breast milk is not only a natural food source but also the most nutritionally complete option for infants, offering antibodies that protect against illness, enhance cognitive development, and decrease the likelihood of obesity later in life.
Additionally, she emphasized the health benefits for mothers, including a reduced risk of certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes, while also noting breastfeeding’s environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness as a feeding method.
Mrs. Chiluwe highlighted the inadequate support and frequent misunderstandings surrounding breastfeeding in many settings. She expressed concern over the lack of progress in exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria, revealing that a significant majority of states 26 out of 36 lack essential supportive policies, including paid maternity leave, workplace childcare, and designated breastfeeding breaks.
The UNICEF Field Officer reported that only a small number of states, specifically Lagos, Kwara, Ekiti, Oyo, Cross River, Kaduna, Niger, Ondo, Enugu, and Plateau, have enacted the recommended six months of paid maternity leave. She urged the remaining 26 states, which have not yet met this standard, to implement similar policies to provide crucial support to mothers.
