Ubuntu lactivism: An Afri-centric approach to breastfeeding activism
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Abstract
Breastfeeding is considered a key strategy in reducing infant mortality rates and is therefore recommended by international organisations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In addition to effectively reducing infant mortality rates, breastfeeding offers health benefits for the mother and is considered economical and environmentally friendly, benefiting society as a whole. Despite all these benefits, there exists a perception that breastfeeding in public constitutes a lewd act and is therefore immoral. This perception has led to unfair discrimination against mothers who breastfeed in public, which we argue violates their right to autonomy and deprives their children of the right to basic nutrition.
We propose Ubuntu lactivism as a movement to protect and advocate for the rights of women who want to breastfeed to be able to do so anywhere and at any time without prejudice or obstacles. Ubuntu lactivism is an activism movement advocating for the right to breastfeed, founded on the philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasises our interconnectedness and our interdependence as a society. Through this philosophy, we are also encouraged to unite according to the Sepedi aphorism: ‘tau tša hloka seboka di šitwa ke nare e hlotsa’, meaning if we are divided in the fight against infant mortality and low exclusive breastfeeding rates, we will likely lose the battle.
The primary objective behind Ubuntu lactivism is to desexualise breastfeeding and advocate for the mother and her child’s rights to breastfeed on demand, which means anywhere and anytime without prejudice or hindrance.
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