Urban women fight stigma on breastfeeding

Morning Standard

Core Theme and Context

The article addresses the paradox between medical consensus on breastfeeding as a public health necessity and the social stigma faced by urban women while breastfeeding in public or semi-public spaces. Despite strong institutional delivery rates and policy advocacy for exclusive breastfeeding, the lived reality for many women is shaped by discomfort, surveillance, and moral judgement.

The piece situates breastfeeding not merely as a health issue, but as a gendered social practice shaped by urban norms, cultural aesthetics, and inadequate public infrastructure.

Key Arguments Presented

1. Breastfeeding Is Medically Essential but Socially Constrained

The article foregrounds the contradiction that while breastfeeding is universally acknowledged as beneficial for infant and maternal health, urban women face:

• Sexualisation of the female body
• Discomfort and shame in public settings
• Fear of judgement and harassment

This gap between medical advice and social acceptance emerges as the central problem.

2. High Institutional Births, Low Social Enablement

Despite high rates of institutional births and awareness campaigns, exclusive breastfeeding rates remain below potential. The article argues that policy success at the point of delivery does not translate into sustained practice, due to:

• Lack of supportive environments
• Absence of breastfeeding-friendly public spaces
• Social pressure to conform to “acceptable” behaviour

3. Emotional and Cognitive Burden on Women

A significant insight is the invisible labour involved in breastfeeding in hostile environments. Women must constantly plan:

• Clothing choices
• Feeding schedules
• Seating arrangements
• Exit strategies

This emotional and mental load converts a natural biological function into a source of anxiety.

4. Clothing and Cultural Codes as Gatekeepers

The article highlights how clothing norms and traditional modesty codes shape public acceptance. Breastfeeding becomes socially permissible only when hidden, discreet, or aesthetically “acceptable”, reinforcing the idea that women must adapt, rather than society.

5. Need for Social, Not Just Individual, Change

The article rejects the idea that women should adjust their behaviour. Instead, it argues for:

• Normalisation of breastfeeding as a public act
• Societal mindset change
• Institutional and infrastructural support

Breastfeeding is framed as a collective responsibility, not a private inconvenience.

Author’s Stance

The author adopts a gender-sensitive, rights-oriented stance:

• Clearly empathetic to women’s lived experiences
• Critical of moral policing and social discomfort
• Supportive of breastfeeding as a public health and social justice issue

The tone is reformist, grounded in qualitative research rather than moral outrage.

Implicit Biases and Editorial Leanings

1. Urban-Centric Lens

The analysis focuses primarily on urban experiences, with limited comparison to:

• Rural breastfeeding norms
• Informal community support structures

2. Normative Gender Perspective

The article strongly centres women’s agency and discomfort, with less exploration of:

• Male roles in normalising caregiving
• Workplace policies affecting breastfeeding

3. Limited Engagement with Policy Constraints

While advocating systemic change, the article does not deeply explore:

• Fiscal or administrative feasibility
• Variations across states and institutions

Pros and Cons of the Argument

Pros

• Humanises a public health issue through lived experiences
• Highlights emotional and social costs often ignored in policy
• Challenges cultural hypocrisy around motherhood and modesty
• Strongly relevant to gender justice and health discourse

Cons

• Limited quantitative policy evaluation
• Less focus on workplace and informal sector challenges
• Does not fully engage with implementation bottlenecks

Policy Implications

1. Public Health Policy Beyond Awareness

Breastfeeding promotion must move from messaging to environment creation, including:

• Breastfeeding-friendly public spaces
• Transport and workplace accommodations

2. Gender-Sensitive Urban Planning

Cities must integrate caregiving needs into:

• Public infrastructure
• Urban design
• Transport hubs and offices

3. Social Normalisation Through Institutions

Schools, media, workplaces, and public authorities must actively destigmatise breastfeeding, treating it as normal rather than exceptional.

Real-World Impact

• Continued stigma may reduce breastfeeding duration
• Increased emotional stress for mothers
• Public health goals may remain unmet
• Normalisation could improve maternal wellbeing and child nutrition

For society, the issue reflects how gendered expectations shape access to basic health practices.

UPSC GS Paper Alignment

GS Paper I – Society

• Gender roles and patriarchy
• Urban social norms
• Changing family structures

GS Paper II – Governance & Social Justice

• Public health delivery
• Women-centric policy design

GS Paper III – Human Development

• Nutrition
• Maternal and child health

GS Paper IV – Ethics

• Dignity
• Social responsibility
• Care ethics

Balanced Conclusion and Future Perspective

The article compellingly shows that breastfeeding is not hindered by lack of knowledge, but by lack of social acceptance. Urban India’s discomfort with visible caregiving exposes deeper contradictions in how women’s bodies are perceived in public spaces.

Going forward, meaningful progress will require:

• Shifting responsibility from individual women to society
• Designing supportive public and workplace environments
• Normalising caregiving as a public good

Ultimately, a society that values child health must also be willing to make space—socially and physically—for mothers to care without fear or shame.