Breastfeeding plays a vital role in the development and well-being of a child. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "children should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health". Despite its importance, many women around the world face challenges when it comes to breastfeeding, especially when they are employed in the industrial sector.
In Bangladesh, the situation is not much different. Women make up a significant portion of the workforce in the industrial sector, and many of them are mothers who have to balance work and breastfeeding.
According to a study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, almost 68% of women who are employed in the industrial sector in Bangladesh face challenges when it comes to breastfeeding. The lack of supportive breastfeeding facilities in the workplace makes it difficult for women to continue breastfeeding and can lead to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.
The Bangladesh Labor Law 2006 provides provisions for women to take breaks for breastfeeding and states that "every employer shall allow a female worker to take a break of one hour per working day for the purpose of breastfeeding". However, the reality is far from this scenario, as many women are not aware of their rights and are not provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding.
The studies conducted by the Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Women, the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) all highlight the challenges that working mothers in Bangladesh face when it comes to breastfeeding in the workplace.
The BNWLA study found that only a few industrial units in Bangladesh have proper breastfeeding facilities for their employees. Many factories in Bangladesh do not have designated breastfeeding rooms, and those that do often lack the privacy and comfort for mothers to breastfeed their children. This forces many mothers to leave their jobs or resort to breastfeeding in unhygienic and inappropriate locations, such as restrooms.
The lack of adequate breastfeeding facilities in the workplace is a major contributor to the low percentage of working mothers with infants. This has a negative impact on both the health of the mother and child.
The lack of privacy and suitable spaces for breastfeeding makes it difficult for women to take advantage of the breaks provided by the law. As a result, many working mothers struggle to balance their job responsibilities with the need to breastfeed their children.
Compared to other countries in the region, the situation in Bangladesh is not as favourable. In India, the Ministry of Women and Child Development provides subsidies to companies that provide facilities for breastfeeding in the workplace, and the government has launched several programs to promote breastfeeding in the workplace. In Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Health has launched a program to provide women with breastfeeding facilities in the workplace, and companies are encouraged to provide women with private spaces for breastfeeding.
The industrial sector in Bangladesh is growing rapidly, and the government and private sector are taking steps to improve the working conditions for women. However, more needs to be done to ensure that women have access to the support they need to continue breastfeeding while they work.
There are many initiatives that the Bangladeshi government can take to support these mothers.
- The government and private sector can launch awareness campaigns to educate women about their rights to take breaks for breastfeeding and to provide them with the information they need to demand these rights in the workplace.
- Companies can provide private and comfortable spaces for women to breastfeed, including refrigerators for the storage of breast milk, comfortable chairs, and access to clean water for washing hands and equipment.
- The government can even provide subsidies to companies that provide facilities for breastfeeding in the workplace, as is done in India, to encourage them to make the necessary investments.
- Working with the private sector to develop and implement best practices for supporting breastfeeding mothers in the workplace, should be a government priority. This could include providing education and training for supervisors and co-workers, as well as providing support for women who need to express milk during work hours.
- Finally, the government must monitor and enforce compliance with the provisions of the Bangladesh Labor Law 2006 to ensure that women are able to take the breaks they need for breastfeeding.
In conclusion, the current situation of breastfeeding facilities in the industrial sector in Bangladesh is a cause for concern, and more needs to be done to support women who want to continue breastfeeding while they work.
The government and private sector can work together to create supportive environments for breastfeeding mothers by launching awareness campaigns, creating breastfeeding facilities, providing subsidies, encouraging best practices, and monitoring and enforcing compliance with the law. By doing so, they can improve maternal and child health, reduce absenteeism, and improve employee morale.
Joy Chandra Bala is an LLM student at North South University.