Today’s fast paced modern world of technology, fast paced careers and lifestyles on the one
hand, and on the other hand economic pressures that demand both parents earn to make ends
meet, have created a society where the basic connection between mother and child and
bonding is either lacking or lost for the majority of families. It is common for children to be left to
be cared for by the baby sitter, maid or a child care institution; or grandparents and siblings, for
long periods.
In many cases, from birth, mother-child bonding and nurturing is compromised by
bottle feeding, and made worse if done by a maid or nanny. Without the skin to skin contact
that breastfeeding provides, infants miss out on this added touch and closeness provided by
breastfeeding on demand for the first months of life. As a result, many children, including girls,
are often disconnected from a very tender age! In a bottle feeding culture, we are disconnected
not just from healthy feeding practices, but more importantly, also from healthy and loving
relationships, and ultimately a healthy future.
Modernization, competitive schooling, and families coping with the pressures of earning, and
surviving, cause much stress and distance between children and their families. While young
boys are similarly affected, the disconnection for girls has repercussions into future generations,
as they become mothers and nurturers. Many women feel distanced from their mothering
potential. The modern working women’s lifestyle often leaves her disengaged from her children
even if this may not be her choice or intention.
Meanwhile the introduction of new communication technologies – handphones, social media,
ipads, etc. – have increased connections among girls, but these have at the same time led to
physical separation. Girls totally engaged in communicating through the internet, twitter and
social media have little interest in learning to communicate face to face, to bond, and to connect
physically.
Further with the continued commercialization of their bodies through the media, women have
become more detached, ashamed, embarrassed, and thus disconnected from their bodies. In
societies where the breast is highly sexualized, even breastfeeding often causes confusing
emotions when perceived as a sexual act and feeding of older infants become taboo.
Generally, insecurity among girls is all the result of disconnection – from who they are, their
bodies and the inner power they embody.
This International Women’s Day (IWD), we are reminded that WE collectively must be a force
for change to increase this natural awareness of women’s bodies, of who we are, and give this
power back to women, starting from girlhood. Let girls and women first feel truly connected with
themselves, their bodies and then with each other. Return to them the awareness of their true
power, and the power of their body to feed their young and nurture the future. We need to help
our young girls who are unable to connect, to bond with each other even as they lack that
foundation in their childhood.
In conjunction with IWD 2012 theme “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Future”, WABA supports global
actions aimed at developing our current and future generations, especially actions that involve
girls’ participation, that connect with girls, that are for girls and by girls, in order to inspire their
future! Getting girls engaged actively starting with schools is critical. It has therefore been our
priority to nurture and mobilize our youth by empowering girls and inspiring both young women
and young men, towards a better understanding and awareness of themselves, their
reproductive health and rights; and to be advocates for protecting, promoting and supporting
breastfeeding.
Recently, as part of WABA’s 21st anniversary we launched our most recent video YOUTH in
ACTION “Feed the Future”. We hope to inspire young people and show that together, we can
nurture the future. It is an outcome of the World Breastfeeding Week 2011 and workshops for
young people in Penang, Malaysia. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSdk_1NxUK8
As part of this UNICEF Malaysia supported project, we also launched the updated video on
working women entitled “WABA celebrates women in nurturing the future with Care, Common
Sense and Creativity”.
It gives WABA great pleasure to share our contribution of audio-visual work, which have
involved youth (especially girls) and aim to engage and mobilize more young people via creative
dance and movement, interaction, discussion and learning. We also hope the videos in our
Multimedia Project will inspire further focus and work to promote breastfeeding, and inspire
more YOUth in Action.
For further information please contact:
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
PO Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 60-4-6584816 Fax: 60-4-6572655
Email: waba@waba.org.my
Website: www.waba.org.my
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