Hi Morgan,
It's not under maternity protection per se (which as you note is not great
in Australia in terms of availability of paid maternity leave) but is it is
considered sex discrimination to refuse service or to ask someone to leave a
place because they are breastfeeding because breastfeeding is something that
women do. It's thought of in just the same as if someone was to ask someone
of a of a particular race or sexual orientation to leave (or change their
appearance).
I really hear what you say about child's rights but in Australia our society
is so child-hostile that it is way easier to get mileage on breastfeeding as
a women's rights issue.
Karleen Gribble
Australia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Morgan Gallagher" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2009 11:24 AM
Subject: Re: Denny's
>I guess its both where you're starting from, and how successful
> approaches have been in the past.
>
> The Sexual Discrimination angle has not been successful here, although
> it's not as bad as the terrible situation Jake describes, in the USA,
> where being pregnant isn't seen as anything to do with Sex Discrimination.
>
> Equally, positioning it as the right of the child to milk, has had
> progress, when Sex Disc hasn't. Milk only being about food, isn't such
> an issue, if nothing else works anyway. Starting _somewhere_ it's
> what's useful. :-) But I do feel speaking on behalf of the child, is
> vital, in the longer term.
>
> At the end of the day, it's what works. I just find it curious it works
> so well under maternity provision in Australia, when you don't have paid
> maternity leave!
>
> Morgan Gallagher
>
> Karleen Gribble wrote:
>> My personal opinion is that sex discrimination legislation is a good
>> place to position all of this...I don't see positioning the right to
>> breastfeed in public as about the child's right to food as all that
>> helpful, the idea that breastfeeding=food and only food is a problem.
>> However, sex discimination legislation covers all breastfeeding women
>> regardless of the age of the child, whether the woman is lactating,
>> whether the child is hers or not. The only situation it doesn't cover
>> is male breastfeeding...
>>
>
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