AN MSP has called for an end to the stigma around breastfeeding in public and hit out at Nigel Farage and several Tory MPs for their “sexist views”.
The SNP’s Gillian Martin has lodged a Parliamentary motion marking the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week today and condemning high-profile figures like Farage who have spoken out against public breastfeeding.
MEP Farage caused a storm when he backed the decision of top London hotel Claridge’s to ask a breastfeeding woman to cover up.
Two Tory MPs then sparked outrage when they said a proposal to allow breastfeeding in the House of Commons was “ridiculous”.
Sir Gerald Haworth said other MPs would be distracted and he was backed by Sir Simon Burns, who said allowing breastfeeding risked Parliament being “ridiculed”.
East Antrim DUP MP Sammy Wilson then added that breastfeeding in the Commons would amount to “exhibitionism”.
Their complaints followed a report that which said breastfeeding should be allowed in the House of Commons as a role model for the rest of the country and to encourage firms to develop more family friendly policies.
Other democratic institutions around the world, including the Australian and European Parliaments, allow breastfeeding in public.
A total ban on breastfeeding in the Commons was lifted in 2002 but still applies to the Chamber, where proceedings are broadcast live.
Martin said breastfeeding in public was an important part of efforts to build a more equal society and that Farage and the MPs were “out of touch”.
“I look forward to my motion on the matter gaining support from all parties,” she said. “Promoting breastfeeding is about giving mums the confidence to do what should be viewed as the most natural thing in the world, and give their child the healthiest start in life.
“It is also pertinent to note the progress that has been made in making public breastfeeding less of a taboo in recent years – though recent comments regarding the practice at Westminster by a senior DUP MP, who called it ‘voyeuristic’, show there is still much to be done in making sure it is viewed positively by all.
“Similar comments have been made by the likes of Nigel Farage and Tory MP Gerald Haworth.
“Those that oppose public breastfeeding are deeply out of touch with modern society, and we need to continue to work to remove these antiquated and often sexist views from our discourse. Removing the stigma around breastfeeding can be important in helping us build a more equal and tolerant society, free from outdated and negative views. Raising awareness of World Breastfeeding Week is one way in which we can do just that.”
Martin’s motion reads: “That the Parliament notes that August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week 2016; understands that the week’s objectives include informing people about the role that breastfeeding can play in sustainable development and anchoring this in people’s minds; observes that it is supported by organisations that include Unicef and the World Health Organisation (WHO); calls for an end to the stigma associated with breastfeeding in public; supports the right of parents to feed their children in public, and condemns those who criticise them for this as being out of touch with modern society.”
The Breastfeeding (Scotland) Act 2005 makes it a criminal offence to deny the right to breastfeed in a public place as long as the child is lawfully permitted to be in that place.
World Breastfeeding Week highlights the role breastfeeding can play in sustainable development.
Latest figures for breastfeeding in Scotland show the overall rate has stayed relatively static over the last decade. In 2014/15, 48.3 per cent of babies were breastfed at the first visit review: 35.2 per cent exclusively and 13.1 per cent fed both breast and formula milk. At the six-to-eight-week review, it fell to 38 per cent.
A decade ago, 38.3 per cent were exclusively breastfed and 6.4 per cent were mixed-fed.
The WHO recommends all children are exclusively breastfed up to six months, and breastfeeding alongside other appropriate foods continues up to and beyond two years.
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