How to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the informal economy
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in Uganda works to support breastfeeding mothers in the informal sector. The Ministry partnered with ACRES in 2022, to gather evidence and inform regulations that promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. The current regulations don’t cater to the informal sector, so ACRES synthesized evidence to address this gap.
The evidence focused on two main questions: promoting exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers in the informal economy and safe storage of expressed breast milk at the workplace. While some evidence was found, it was limited, and citizen engagement was deemed necessary to validate the findings and identify contextual issues.
Outcomes of the two citizen panels
Citizen panels were organized to contextualize the evidence and inform provisions for promoting exclusive breastfeeding in the informal sector. The panels defined exclusive breastfeeding as feeding a baby only breast milk for six months. They identified barriers like workplace safety and risk of infections and suggested interventions such as:
- Engaging women in program design
- Sensitizing employers about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding
- Providing support for infants and childcare at or near workplaces
- Sensitizing mothers about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding
- Setting up private or semi-private breastfeeding facilities
- Designing a Monitoring and Evaluation plan
ACRES utilized engaging illustrations to facilitate lively discussions and active participation among citizen panellists, effectively breaking down complex topics and fostering a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding breastfeeding support in the informal sector.
