Breastfeeding and the Equality Bill In April, the UK Government introduced an Equality Bill into Parliament. The Bill proposes legislation to protect a woman from being discriminated against because she is breastfeeding. This would make it illegal to prevent a woman from breastfeeding in public, for example in a café or museum. Breastfeeding provides babies with all the nutrition required for the first six months of their lives and those fed in this way are less likely to suffer a range of serious illnesses during infancy and childhood. Parliamentarians must do all they can to encourage greater social acceptance of this important and natural practice. How you can help On 11 May, during National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, the Equality Bill will have its second reading in Parliament. Please contact your MP to ask them to show their support for the breastfeeding clauses in the Equality Bill which will help to protect the right to breastfeed in public places. We have provided you with suggested text for an email which you can send via our site. We recommend that you personalise the text by adding your own message, as this makes it more likely to receive attention.
Some women report having been harassed for breastfeeding in public. This results in some mothers choosing not to breastfeed or stopping early because they anticipate embarrassment or difficulties in feeding their babies in public. UNICEF has been campaigning to protect the right to breastfeed for several years.
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