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The law on breastfeeding in Public
Hi
I came across this on netmums and thought it was very informative.I have posted it due to recent topics on breastfeeding in public.
FROM NETMUMS
There is a law..unfortunately it applies to mums breast feeding a baby under 6 mths. This cut of age has caused outrage esp as mums are actively encouraged to breast feed beyond one year!!
I have adapted this from the Lavtivist website:
''The Law on Public Breastfeeding
20th July 2008 01:00
UK mothers who breastfeed their children, are celebrating after the government clarified today that mothers are, and always have been, free to breastfeed in public places. Breastfeeding mothers are also protected in law under the provision of goods, services and facilities section of the Sexual Discrimination Act when breastfeeding, whatever the age of the baby, in places such as cafes, restaurants, libraries, surgeries etc.
When Harriet Harman announced plans for the new Equality Bill three weeks ago, she could not have known that people around the country - and around the world - would respond so strongly to her proposal to include the word -breastfeeding' in the definition of maternity.
Under the new proposals, the government was stating that a mother, breastfeeding a child of six months or less, would now be more rigorously protected by law from discrimination. It was this six month cut off point that started panic amongst breastfeeding mothers who, in accord with WHO and Government Health guidelines, seek to breastfeed well beyond six months. They were concerned that they could now be discriminated against, for feeding a child older than six months when in public.
As a result of Durdant-Hollamby's investigations, the Government Equalities Office has confirmed that:
1) There is not, and never has been, any law that prohibits a woman from breastfeeding a child of any age in public, for example in a cafe.![:\](https://forum.madeformums.com/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
)
2) The 1975 Sexual Discrimination Act created legal protection for a woman under the provision of goods, facilities and services section. This protection covered a woman breastfeeding a child, of any age, by implication, and meant that she could not be discriminated against for breastfeeding in places such as restaurants, cafes, surgeries, libraries etc.
3) The 2008 amendment to the SDA brought in more specific cover under the wording of -maternity' - this also brought in the first mention of a six-month period, as it is tied to broader maternity rights covering 6 months before and after birth - whereby a mother could also challenge the owner under the grounds of maternity
4) The Equality Bill seeks to make it even more explicit that this maternity protection includes breastfeeding, by including the word breastfeeding in the statute.
So, for example, if a mother who is breastfeeding a 27 week old baby on a bus or in a caf???? is asked to leave or to stop breastfeeding, she can take legal action on the grounds of sexual discrimination. If that same mother was feeding a child under 26 weeks, she could take action under the grounds of maternity or sexual discrimination.''
Hope this helps
Jeanettex
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#3 Yesterday, 09:41
I came across this on netmums and thought it was very informative.I have posted it due to recent topics on breastfeeding in public.
FROM NETMUMS
There is a law..unfortunately it applies to mums breast feeding a baby under 6 mths. This cut of age has caused outrage esp as mums are actively encouraged to breast feed beyond one year!!
I have adapted this from the Lavtivist website:
''The Law on Public Breastfeeding
20th July 2008 01:00
UK mothers who breastfeed their children, are celebrating after the government clarified today that mothers are, and always have been, free to breastfeed in public places. Breastfeeding mothers are also protected in law under the provision of goods, services and facilities section of the Sexual Discrimination Act when breastfeeding, whatever the age of the baby, in places such as cafes, restaurants, libraries, surgeries etc.
When Harriet Harman announced plans for the new Equality Bill three weeks ago, she could not have known that people around the country - and around the world - would respond so strongly to her proposal to include the word -breastfeeding' in the definition of maternity.
Under the new proposals, the government was stating that a mother, breastfeeding a child of six months or less, would now be more rigorously protected by law from discrimination. It was this six month cut off point that started panic amongst breastfeeding mothers who, in accord with WHO and Government Health guidelines, seek to breastfeed well beyond six months. They were concerned that they could now be discriminated against, for feeding a child older than six months when in public.
As a result of Durdant-Hollamby's investigations, the Government Equalities Office has confirmed that:
1) There is not, and never has been, any law that prohibits a woman from breastfeeding a child of any age in public, for example in a cafe.
)2) The 1975 Sexual Discrimination Act created legal protection for a woman under the provision of goods, facilities and services section. This protection covered a woman breastfeeding a child, of any age, by implication, and meant that she could not be discriminated against for breastfeeding in places such as restaurants, cafes, surgeries, libraries etc.
3) The 2008 amendment to the SDA brought in more specific cover under the wording of -maternity' - this also brought in the first mention of a six-month period, as it is tied to broader maternity rights covering 6 months before and after birth - whereby a mother could also challenge the owner under the grounds of maternity
4) The Equality Bill seeks to make it even more explicit that this maternity protection includes breastfeeding, by including the word breastfeeding in the statute.
So, for example, if a mother who is breastfeeding a 27 week old baby on a bus or in a caf???? is asked to leave or to stop breastfeeding, she can take legal action on the grounds of sexual discrimination. If that same mother was feeding a child under 26 weeks, she could take action under the grounds of maternity or sexual discrimination.''
Hope this helps
Jeanettex
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#3 Yesterday, 09:41
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