WUNRN
CHINA - BEIJING TRADE UNION
FEDERATION LEADS TO REQUIRE BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT
INSTITUTIONS, TO CREATE NURSING
ROOMS FOR BREASTFEEDING WORKING MOTHERS
October 10, 2014 - Editor: Arnold Hou
The first
batch of 200 nursing rooms has been established and will be put into use in
Beijing, for the convenience of women workers who are breastfeeding, according
to the Beijing Federation of Trade Unions on October 8.
An ordinary
nursing room is equipped with power outlets for the use of a breast pump, a
fridge to store breast milk, and two sets of tables and chairs. Some even have
a drinking fountain, a sofa, a microwave oven, a television and a fan.
According to
Zhang Xiuping, director of the Female Workers Department under the Beijing
Federation of Trade Unions, the federation launched the nursing room program in
January 2014, requiring enterprises, government sectors and institutions,
economic parks, and business buildings in the city to build nursing rooms. With
the establishment of the first batch of such rooms, the federation has decided
to launch the second batch of the program, planning to build 1,000 such rooms
over the next three years.
Relevant
data shows that breastfeeding has various advantages. It balances the
short-term and long-term health needs of the baby, bringing the child
dual-effect protection. It helps babies in terms of brain function, cognitive
aspects of development and enhances immune functions and disease resistance.
Furthermore it helps reduce the incidence of allergic diseases and reduce chronic
diseases in adulthood and the risk of complications.
Data from
the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) shows the average
exclusive breastfeeding rate for babies aged 0-6 months in China is about 27
percent, much lower than the goal of 50 percent set by the National Program for Child Development
(2011-2020), which is the national guiding plan for China's
initiatives related to children.
Compared
with 30 percent of women breastfeeding in rural areas, the rate in urban areas
is less than 16 percent. The lack of protective and support measures for career
women has been blamed for the lower rate in urban areas.
Currently, a
nursing career woman enjoys one-hour of breastfeeding leave each day, according
to the Regulations on Special Labor Protections for Female Employees. However,
after a maternity leave of at least 90 days, those who are willing and have
started to breastfeed usually find themselves in an awkward situation. Long
commutes and the violation of related regulations by employers are often the
reasons.
The current
Regulations on Special Labor Protections for Female Employees, which was
adopted in 2012, encourages organizations with a certain number of female
employees to establish nursing rooms.
Data shows
that Beijing has a total of 3.255 million women of child-bearing age with a
local household registration. With the implementation of the selective second
child policy in the city, experts expect that the city will face a baby boom
and it will influence public services in the city.
According to
Zhang Xiuping, a breastfeeding room has various functions. It not only provides
a place for mothers who are breastfeeding to breastfeed, express breast milk
and for pregnant women to have a break, but also offers them a place to
interact with each other and release pressure.
"Our
company provides such a comfortable room for us, and there are some toys in
it," said a woman employee named Zeng. "I feel happier because I
don't need to express breast milk in the toilet any more."
"All
enterprises which meet our standards and are willing to establish such rooms
can apply for it," said Zhang. "We will assess and check the
materials on the spot."
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