Parry represents CGBI at WABA conference in Malaysia
November 15, 2016
Kathy Parry, MPH, IBCLC, LMBT, project director at Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI), was an invited panelist at the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) Global Breastfeeding Partners’ Forum. The meeting, held Oct. 2-5 in Penang, Malysia, was themed “Turning Silver into Gold – Sustaining Breastfeeding Campaigns for a Generation.”
The occasion marked the 25th anniversary of WABA, which was established in 1991 in conjunction with the launching of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). BFHI, a global effort supported by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, aims to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding. One of the initiative’s four major tenets is the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps), which serve as guidelines for maternity care practices across the globe.
Since its inception in 2006, CGBI, housed in the Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Department of Maternal and Child Health, actively has supported increased implementation of the Ten Steps. The late Miriam Labbok, MD, MPH, CGBI’s founding director and a visionary pioneer in global reproductive rights and breastfeeding, also served as the North American representative to the WABA steering committee.
Now under the directorship of Catherine Sullivan, CGBI staff members currently serve as breastfeeding technical assistance experts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded EMPower Breastfeeding (Enhancing Maternity Practices) Initiative, which aims to increase the number of maternity care facilities in the U.S. that achieve “baby-friendly” designation.
WABA is a global network of organizations and individuals, best known as the organization behind the worldwide celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. WABA also maintains task forces around the topics of paid parental leave, men’s involvement, youth involvement, women and work, gender, and compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, among others. As part of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week celebration, WABA outlined ways in which breastfeeding is key to each of the Sustainable Development Goals, the cornerstone of global public health work through 2030.
WABA staff members pose at the 2017 meeting. Photo by Bryndis Skarpheoinsdottir.
WABA’s Global Breastfeeding Partners’ Forum convened 75 individuals from 29 countries in seven regions who work in the breastfeeding field and represent various types of organizations.
The meeting celebrated 25 years of achievements and engaged participants in refining the organization’s path toward the future. Going forward, WABA will focus primarily on two initiatives — the Empowered Parents Campaign, which promotes gender-equitable parental protection, and the Warm Chain Campaign, which focuses on access to support in health care and in the community.
Panel discussions describing each campaign enlisted experts to share experiences and perspectives with conference participants.
Parry participated as a panelist on the Gender Equity panel, moderated by fellow North Carolinian, Paige Hall-Smith, who directs the Center for Women’s Health and Wellness at UNC-Greensboro and co-hosts the Breastfeeding and Feminism International Conference with CGBI.
One highlight from the panel included a discussion on the importance of including a woman’s partner and immediate family in her prenatal and postpartum education wherever possible, so as to reduce the potential burden placed on her when receiving health advice that might differ from her partner or family’s norms. While globally relevant, this is also a salient consideration in the U.S., as breastfeeding advocates work to reach multiple cultural backgrounds with tailored education and counseling to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Members of the youth panel hold a discussion at the Global Breastfeeding Partners’ Forum. Photo by Frenni Jowi.
Most countries (except the United States) already have paid maternity and paternity leave. Even in countries where such leave exists, it is often not adequate. In addition to the insufficiency of paid leave across the globe, policies do not cover workers in the informal economy.
In the U.S., individuals in informal and nonstandard employment have relatively high poverty rates and low earnings, and women represent a disproportionate share of the workers. Globally, data show that in many countries, informal employment is quite prevalent, representing anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent of total non-agricultural employment.
Tackling the challenge of how to support women in the informal workforce is a vital next step.
View from Gunung Raya Mountain, Langkawi, Malaysia. Photo by Kathy Parry.
Other global challenges surfacing out of the discussions included gender-based violence, adolescent marriage and pregnancy, and lack of education about breastfeeding among medical staff. Many young professionals were invited to offer the youth perspective on these issues, a necessary step to engage the next generation in dialogue and decision making.
“It was quite an honor to be among such dedicated and passionate breastfeeding advocates,” Parry said. “Malaysia is a special place to visit – a colorful Muslim country with large Chinese and Indian populations in addition to the native Malaysians. Penang, the Malaysian state in which WABA is based, boasts George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as its capital. We hope to return to visit with WABA in the future, and remain excited for continued collaboration with the global partners with whom we share a vision.”
Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: David Pesci, director of communications, (919) 962-2600 or dpesci@unc.edu
