Opinion

Lae Kiri Karala: Don’t deprive babies of their lifeblood - EDITORIAL

07 Aug 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Newborn babies have only three needs. They are -- warmth in the arms of the mother, food from her breasts and security in the comfort of her presence.

Breastfeeding satisfies all three, according to Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician and a leading advocate of natural childbirth. In terms of knowledge, American Jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes has said that a pair of substantial mammary glands have the advantage over the two hemispheres of the most learned professor’s brain in the art of compounding a nutritive fluid for infants. Most important of all when the mother allows her blood to be turned into milk (Lae kiri karala), there is a unique love relationship that lasts a lifetime and nothing can replace it.

It is in the context of such inspiring and enlightened insights that we need to reflect on World Breastfeeding Week which was marked from August 1 till yesterday. The theme is concerted global action to support women to combine breastfeeding and work. Whether a woman is working in the formal, non-formal or home setting, it is necessary that she is empowered in claiming her and her baby’s right to breastfeed. The 2015 theme on working women and breastfeeding revisits the 1993 campaign on the mother-friendly workplace initiative. Much has been achieved in 22 years of global action supporting women in combining breastfeeding and work, particularly the adoption of the revised International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 183 on Maternity Protection with much stronger maternity entitlements, and more country actions on improving national laws and practices. At the workplace level, there has also been more action taken to set up breastfeeding or mother-friendly workplaces including awards for breastfeeding-friendly employers and greater mass awareness on working women’s rights to breastfeed.

In 1990, at the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) policymakers’ meeting on breastfeeding: A global initiative at Florence in Italy, the Innocenti Declaration on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding was worked out and adopted. The Innocenti Declaration (1990) recognised that breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition for infants and contributes to their healthy growth and development.

To mark world breastfeeding week Netflix Inc, a New York-based video-streaming company, which employs about 2,200 people, is offering up to a year of paid maternity and paternity leave for employees to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. This significantly raised the bar for parental benefits in corporate America and elsewhere. The change, which the company called an “unlimited” leave, will eliminate the need for employees to request state-funded leave or disability pay because they will continue to be paid their regular salaries. “Netflix’s continued success hinges on us competing for and keeping the most talented individuals in their field. Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home,” Netflix Chief Talent Officer Tawni Cranz said. Reuters news agency says the Netflix policy far exceeds typical leave at large US corporations. The national norm averages about 30 days paid leave, according to Mary Tavarozzi, a senior consultant with benefit consultant group Towers Watson.

According to a 2013 report from a Research Center, Estonia offers the most paid time off for parental leave, about two years while Hungary offers at least one and a half years of paid leave.

In Sri Lanka any mother, regardless of being employed in the State sector or in the private sector, is entitled to 84 days as maternity leave from the day of delivery. These 84 days are calculated excluding Saturdays and Sundays of the respective months that mothers will be nursing their babies at home.

Therefore, mothers will most probably be at home until their babies turn four months. Mothers anyway, can enjoy the full salary for the months at home during this period. The State sector mothers could get an additional three or six months on half pay leave or no-pay leave.

In the State sector paternity leave is given for three days after the baby is born. Some private companies however are known to terminate contracts of women who become pregnant. This is an insult to the sanctity of motherhood and it must be stopped.

With women forming the majority in Sri Lanka and mothers playing the vital role, this land of four great religions and civilization dating back to more than 4,500 years could take an example from Estonia, Hungary or Netflix Inc.

Opinion

Lae Kiri Karala: Don’t deprive babies of their lifeblood - EDITORIAL

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