Opinion | More needs to be done to promote breastfeeding in Hong Kong

World Breastfeeding Week in early August is not only a good opportunity to encourage more mothers to breastfeed. It is also a good opportunity to review whether current policies and facilities still need to be improved.

According to a recent survey, over 80 percent of mothers in Hong Kong say they need more breastfeeding opportunities in public places and have difficulty finding hygienic breastfeeding rooms.

About half of the 1,400 respondents reported that they faced long queues in front of breastfeeding rooms and inadequate hygienic conditions when breastfeeding or lactating in commercial and government premises.

Also worrying is the fact that around 16 percent of the government buildings and 20 percent of the shopping centers examined by the researchers did not have baby care facilities.

Even if this were the case, facilities in approximately 40 percent of government buildings and 50 percent of commercial properties would not meet the recommended size.

The Equality Commission deserves credit for tackling an issue that has not received the attention it deserves, but it is also a reminder that, despite the increased acceptance of breastfeeding in society over the years, there is still much more that needs to be done by the regulator and the government.

This is especially important as breastfeeding in public and pumping milk in the workplace may still be frowned upon or frowned upon.

A quarter of respondents to a focus group study reported harassment and discrimination. Among them was a working mother who was told by a male supervisor that she could only express milk under the light of a surveillance camera.

Some others were prevented from breastfeeding in public by security guards or restaurant staff or had to endure unfriendly looks.

The regulator received 17 complaints – over 80 percent of which concerned alleged discrimination by employers – after the Gender Discrimination Regulation was amended in 2021 to provide legal protection for breastfeeding mothers.

Like other family-friendly policies and practices in the public and private sectors, better support for breastfeeding has positive effects on birth rates and child rearing. Authorities should consider more effective measures to better promote breastfeeding in society.