Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated from 1 to 7 August around the world to mark the anniversary of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration, which recognises the various benefits of breastfeeding and spells out the responsibility of policymakers to protect women’s right to breastfeed.

The Natural Parenting Network in Hong Kong is honouring the occasion this year with a celebratory event on 3 August 2019 (Saturday), from 2pm to 5:30pm at 1/F, Christian Family Service Centre, 3 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong. It will feature photo spots, DIY activities to create badges for breastfeeding mothers, as well as a talk by Dr Bianca LEE-HO Sin-Wan about how to help babies develop a sense of security.

Public education aside, legal safeguards must also be in place to help create a safe and friendly environment for breastfeeding women. In the Discrimination Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018 now under scrutiny by the Bills Committee of the Legislative Council, the Government has proposed to amend the Sex Discrimination Ordinance to prohibit discrimination on the ground of breastfeeding, following the EOC’s recommendation under the Discrimination Law Review in 2016. The EOC has further advised that the definition of a breastfeeding woman be expanded to include wet nurses, mothers breastfeeding an adopted child or surrogate baby, as well as women who feed their child with donated breast milk. For details, please click the link below.

• Find out more about the event organised by Natural Parenting Network (Chinese only)
• More on World Breastfeeding Week
• Learn about breastfeeding resources offered by the Department of Health
• Watch videos of the Bills Committee’s previous meetings
• Read the EOC submission to the Legislative Council