Draft regulations outlined in a proposition by Social Security Minister Susie Pinel – which is due to be debated next month – would make it unlawful to force breastfeeding mothers out of public places if the child is aged under six months.
Earlier this week Deputy Louise Doublet issued an amendment to the proposition seeking to extend the protection to mothers of children aged under 24 months.
But she has now backed an amendment to her amendment which was lodged by Deputy Tracey Vallois. Deputy Vallois wants the proposed age limit to be removed.
Deputy Doublet said she and Deputy Vallois had been working together. She added: ‘I feel mothers need the two years protection as a minimum. I would be delighted if my amendment was accepted with Deputy Vallois’ changes.
‘It would simply give more reassurance to mothers and even more clarity to business owners.
‘The UK has no age limit on the protection against discrimination for breastfeeding mothers so it would bring us 100 per cent in line with the UK,’ said Deputy Doublet, who has decided not to withdraw her own amendment in case Deputy Vallois’ amendment is rejected.
‘Why do we even need a law for this? Show me where it says you cannot breastfeed at any age and then tell me why we are reducing the time to just six months.’
Darius Pearce Jeweller
‘I do not think there should be an age limit in place with regard to protecting the right to feed in public. Six months is the minimum recommended time for exclusive breastfeeding, not the maximum! How long a child is breastfed for is purely the business of the mother and child – it is natural and beneficial to both mother and child to feed for as long as both wish to continue.’
Lindsay Rk
Judith Massarelli Brine
‘Just leave all breastfeeding mothers alone to feed their baby when and whereever they like. It is a natural thing to do.’
Valerie Le Blancq
Africa
In most areas of Africa breastfeeding in public is accepted. However, in some areas of South Africa it is still frowned upon.
France
Public breastfeeding is legal and widely accepted.
Iceland
Public breastfeeding is widespread and uncontroversial.
Netherlands
Public breastfeeding is common and widely accepted in the Netherlands. There are no laws against public breastfeeding. Dutch law states that when an employee wishes to breastfeed her baby the employer is obligated to provide for the first nine months after the birth a suitable nursing room and allow for 25 per cent of work time to be spent on feeding the baby or expressing milk while on pay.
New Zealand
Breastfeeding is encouraged and public breastfeeding is common. Bottle-feeding in New Zealand has been so widely discouraged that it is thought that public bottle-feeding might make a mother feel more uncomfortable than public breastfeeding. Many shopping centres provide rooms where mothers may change and feed their babies.
United Kingdom
Breastfeeding in public in the UK is protected under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The Equality Act 2010 also states that a business must not discriminate against a woman who is breastfeeding a child of any age in a public place.
