Mobilising strategies of the global breast feeding movement: building alliances with the women's movement
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Date
2001
Authors
Amin, Sarah
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Abstract
This thesis aims to examine several mobilising strategies of the global breastfeeding
movement which have been effective in advancing the goals ofbetter infant and women's
health by restoring a breastfeeding culture. It also looks at the breastfeeding movement
from the perspective of its linkages with the global women's movement, which seeks to
empower women though a better health and reproductive culture.
The breastfeeding movement employs five broad strategies to protect, promote and
support breastfeeding: networking, capacity building, advocacy, outreach, and media and
communications. Within these. five strategic programmes of action have been identified
as being the most instmmental. They are: (i) The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, (ii)
World Breastfeeding Week, (iii) Code Advocacy, (iv) Alliance Building and International
Representation, and (v) Women and Work. Each of these strategic programmes are
analysed from the point of view of their activities, outcomes and effectiveness.
This thesis focuses on the fourth strategy of alliance building, in particular, with the
wome_n's (health) movement, and reviews the place of breastfeeding in the women's
agenda. The research shows that breastfeeding has a low priority in the women's
movement, and is often ignored or marginalised in feminist discourse. Some reasons
point to such feminist traditions as liberal and radical feminism which view breastfeeding
as essentialist - inhibiting women's independence, choice and autonomy. The researcher
has sought to establish a more centralised position for breastfeeding and argues for
[ mainstreaming breastfeeding within the women's movement. Five key issue areas are
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movements. These include: (i) Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights; (ii)
Women's Health and Nutrition; (iii) Women's Empowerment; (iv) Womm 's
Productive and Reproductive Work; and (v) Women and the Environment. The research
also looks at the practical ways in which the breastfeeding movement has been linking
with the women's movement in the past and present, and recommends actions for future
collaboration. Elements for a revised theory on reproductive health and rights is also
offered giving motherhood a central position.
In terms of theoretical approaches, the research draws mainly from Feminism -
socialist, standpoint and radical feminism - and critical theory. These approaches are
interpretive in nature, and have an emancipatory interest, that knowledge is meant for
change and to change. They reject an objective science for a subjective science which
recognises the historical location of the researcher, while encouraging reflexivity.
Three methods of data gathering and analysis have been used for this research: in-depth
interviews, content analysis and participant observation. A multi-methods and multidata
source approach has been used because the ethnographic field is a global network
where its participants and activities are based in different parts of the world. The data
gathered from interviews, documents and participant observation are analysed using
qualitative methods.
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Keywords
Breastfeeding , Women's movement