Campaigning for Maternity Protection The Maternity Protection Coalition & ILO Convention 183 Chris Mulford, RN, IBCLC WABA Women & Work Task Force

Objectives After this presentation, participants will be able to Identify a framework for action on Maternity Protection. Describe seven key concepts of maternity protection. Explain why it is important for breastfeeding advocates to work in support of all seven concepts. Identify potential allies and strategies for a Maternity Protection Campaign. Discuss ratification of C-183 as a strategy to strengthen Maternity Protection.

Defining work Men’s & women’s work 1995 UN Development Programme Report $23 trillion—official estimate of “global output” $16 trillion more was not included—unpaid, invisible, undervalued work Most of this unpaid work is caring work. Most of it is done by women.

The 1995 UNDP Report Women’s paid work Women’s unpaid work Men’s paid work Men’s unpaid work 1/3 2/3 3/4 1/4 Above the break: $23 trillion marketplace work Below the break: $16 trillion unpaid work—invisible, undervalued

What the UNDP didn’t show Women’s paid work Women’s unpaid work Men’s paid work Men’s unpaid work 1/3 2/3 3/4 1/4 Menstrual cycle, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation Women’s reproductive work Men’s reproductive work

“No society can progress half-liberated and half-chained. Human development, if not engendered, is fatally endangered.” --- Mahbub ul Haq Principal Author and Coordinator 1995 UNDP Report

International Human Rights Instruments Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR ) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)* Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)*

Other International Documents Innocenti Declaration (1990) Beijing Platform for Action (1995) Both specifically mention protection for breastfeeding women at the workplace.

ILO Conventions and Recommendations C3, 1919 C103, 1952 (no longer open for ratification) R95, 1952 C183, 2000 R191, 2000 Others (such as C184…) that mention MP

Regional Directives ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) CONOSUR EU (European Union) MERCOSUR NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) OAU (Organisation of African Unity) SADC (Southern Africa Development Community)

National or local laws Legislation may be drafted at various levels: National or federal State, Province, Canton Local: municipal, communal

Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) Agreements that affect an entire sector or profession Agreements between a specific union and an employer or a group of employers Agreements for a specific workplace

Workplace Policies These policies can be: Agreements for a specific workplace Agreements for a specific firm or corporation Policies of multinational corporations tend to differ from country to country, and in some cases from one plant to the other.

“Maternity protection is a precondition of genuine equality of opportunity and treatment for men and women.” --- International Labour Organization, Maternity Protection at Work, p. 51, 1997

Tools to aid women at work Innocenti Declaration WABA’s Mother-Friendly Workplace Quezon City Declaration Maternity Protection Convention, C183 & Recommendation, R191 ICFTU / PSI / EI Kit MP Coalition Action Kit GIMS

Innocenti Target 4 All governments should… [enact] imaginative legislation protecting the breastfeeding rights of working women and [establish] means for its enforcement.

Mother Friendly Workplace Initiative Time Biological rhythms, interactive time, institutional schedules and deadlines Space Mother and baby are a biological unit. Support Bf is valued. Women have many options.

Quezon City Declaration Spread awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for optimal maternal and child health. Create and strengthen social security systems that recognize families’ reproductive and productive needs equally, in ways that do not lead to discrimination against women in the workplace. Act locally with women in the entire range of work situations…to empower them to realize their human rights as workers and mothers.

The ILO International Labor Organization, a branch of the United Nations Goal: social justice Tripartite structure: governments, employers, workers Works to create a socially stable climate in which the wealth that is created by workers benefits the workers as well as their employers

The ILO & Maternity Protection MP: a priority since 1919 Protection for the health of mother & baby Protection for the mother’s job Two rationales: –special treatment (Women are different.) –equal treatment and equal opportunity in employment (Women are the same.)

Maternity Protection: concepts Scope—who is covered? Leave—maternity—additional—parental Benefits—medical—cash Health protection Job protection Breastfeeding breaks Breastfeeding facilities

ILO’s C183 Maternity Protection Convention Adopted by ILO in 2000 Sets international minimum standard 3 countries have ratified: Slovakia, Italy, Bulgaria The Maternity Protection Coalition (IBFAN, WABA, ILCA, and Linkages) is advocating for ratification.

ILO’s C183 & R191 Maternity Protection Convention and Recommendation, 2000 Web address for ILO Conventions: Web address for ILO Recommendations:

What we learned at ILO Some forces wanted to remove breastfeeding from the Convention entirely, or, if that failed, to weaken support for bf. The average person doesn’t know much about breastfeeding. We had a lot to learn about the concerns of other sectors.

Strategies from campaign at ILO conference, Place breastfeeding in a human rights context. Listen and learn. Focus on giving information. Provide real-life examples. Show economic value of breastfeeding to offset cost of bf protection

Strategies from campaign at ILO conference, Use the opportunity to have input through advisory role with government delegations. Enlist the health sector—we got strong support from WHO, UNICEF, ICN. Listen to the concerns of all partners; educate ourselves about the wider issues. Link with TUs and women’s NGOs.

WABA’s GIMS: Global Initiative for Mother Support Calls for mother support –in all parts of the world –at all stages of the reproductive cycle Sectors that should give mother support: –Health care system –Family –Community –Workplace

ICFTU / PSI / EI Kit International Confederation of Free Trade Unions Public Services International Education International dex= &Language=EN Click on “campaign kit”

MP Coalition Action Kit Goal 1: to aid breastfeeding advocates to work for better MP laws & better conditions for women at work, and to support ratification of C183 Goal 2: to help trade unionists, employers, and governments understand their role in supporting breastfeeding

MP Coalition Action Kit Plan: preview at WABA Global Forum II in Arusha, Tanzania, September 2002 Plan: available through WABA Secretariat and IBFAN & ILCA offices for cost of mailing Plan: downloadable from the web

Choosing your campaign path Ratify C183 Improve MP laws: nation, state/province Take a step—close a gap –Widen scope to include more women –Work to set up a model: one TU, one industry, one enterprise –Propose a new scheme for financing benefits –Inform women, TUs, and employers