Nursing workers receive significant support with the commencement of World Breastfeeding Week. The U.S. Department of Labor’s campaign, “Power to Pump,” raises awareness about the protection of millions of nursing mothers. Photo courtesy of HealthDay.
Aug. 1 (UPI) — The start of World Breastfeeding Week signals the much-needed support for nursing workers. The U.S. Department of Labor launches its campaign, “Power to Pump,” to bring attention to the protection of nursing mothers.
As part of the campaign, the Wage and Hour Division of the department will distribute informative cards on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act. This act mandates employers to provide breaks and private spaces for working mothers, including teachers, nurses, drivers, home care workers, and agriculture workers, to express breast milk for their children.
“Workplace support for pumping breast milk is crucial since the majority of women return to work within a year of giving birth,” stated Jessica Looman, Principal Deputy Wage and Hour administrator.
“When nursing workers have the right to break time and a private space for pumping breast milk, they experience peace of mind and can continue breastfeeding if they choose,” added Looman.
The information campaign, which includes webinars, targets employers, as well as new and expecting parents, and workers in industries affected by these changes.
The PUMP act, signed into law in December, stands for Providing Urgent Maternal Protections. It requires employers to accommodate nursing mothers for one year after childbirth.
The law states, “Employees are entitled to a place to pump at work, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public.”
Additionally, the first week of August marks World Breastfeeding Week with the theme “Let’s make breastfeeding work, work.” UNICEF and the World Health Organization report that over half a billion working women lack essential maternity protections under national laws, and only 20% of countries require employers to offer paid breaks for breastfeeding or expressing milk.
In a joint statement, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed, “In the last 10 years, many countries have made significant progress to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates. Yet even greater progress is possible when breastfeeding is protected and supported, particularly in the workplace.”
Russell and Ghebreyesus further explained, “Breastfeeding protects babies from common infectious diseases and boosts children’s immune systems. Babies who are not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before they reach their first birthday than babies who are exclusively breastfed. From the earliest moments of a child’s life, breastfeeding is the ultimate child survival and development intervention.”
According to WHO, less than half of infants worldwide under the age of 6 months are exclusively breastfed. Russell and Ghebreyesus emphasized the need to address barriers faced by women and families to achieve the global 2030 target of 70%, stating, “Supportive workplaces are key. Evidence shows that while breastfeeding rates drop significantly for women when they return to work, that negative impact can be reversed when workplaces facilitate mothers to continue to breastfeed their babies.”
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
