Friends: The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2000 is "Breastfeeding: It's Your Right." This theme focuses on breastfeeding as a human right. I've had many requests for the WBW Y2K theme, and noted it hadn't yet been posted on Lactnet. The following is some information from WABA, with comments by myself. For more info, you can go to the WABA Website <www.waba.org.br>. If you have comments/questions/ideas re: WBW, please feel free to email me privately or to the list. In the US and many other 'developed' nations, women's bf rights could use (a lot of) help. It's good to be back on Lactnet! --Doraine Bailey ILCA World BF Week Coordinator Lexington, KY, USA ------------------------------------ World Bf Week 2000 "Breastfeeding: It's Your Right!" Each year new research reveals ever more clearly that it is not possible for infants and their mthers to achieve optimal health unless the conditions exist that allow women to practice appropriate exclusive and complimentary breastfeeding. Thus breastfeeding is a right of mothers and is a fundamental component in assuring a child's right to food, health and care. Breastfeeding is a part of fundamental human rights: the right to food and health. Every women has the right to breastfeed her child. Most governments have legally obliged themselves to fulfill the rights contained in one or more of the following international agreements: -- Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) {note:US has NOT ratified} -- Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW){Note: US nas NOT ratified -- Sen. Helms refuses to hear it in committee, despite requests from his Senate and House colleagues} --ILO Convention on Maternity Protection {which is currently being debated and is in danger of being substantially weakened towards bf} --International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes What is a human right? Human rights are those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity. Human rights are held by all persons equally, universally, and forever. Human rights are interdependent: all human rights are part of a complementary framework. For example, your ability to participate in your government is directly affected by your right to express yourself, to get an education, and even to obtain the necessities of life. (Source: Human Rights USA) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html