Invitation to participate in Gender Case Studies Project
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Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights, Netherlands
How women manage breastfeeding in variety of circumstances, par-
ticularly in difficult conditions.
Dear Friends,
Warm greeting from the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
(WABA)
The breastfeeding movement is over two decades old, and has done
impressive work in protecting, promoting and supporting breast-
feeding. Nevertheless more needs to be done, particularly recog-
nising the broader challenges women face. WABAs Gender Pro-
gramme is looking at breastfeeding issues from womens perspec-
tive and we would like to collaborate with womens organisations
to examine such challenges as health and nutrition, multiple
burdens, lack of or inadequate maternity protection benefits,
etc. that women face, and plan appropriate strategies to address
them.
We are writing to inform you that WABA is planning to bring out
a publication on how women across the globe, from diverse cul-
tures, races and classes, have responded to the various chal-
lenges of infant feeding, particularly breastfeeding, including
feeding in difficult circumstances such as conflict situations,
refugee camps, poverty situations in both urban and rural areas.
The publication will cover both positive experiences as well as
negative experiences (including perceived failures) from which
lessons can be learnt. We, in WABA Penang, hope you can identify
women and groups from your region, whose experiences would en-
rich the publication and provide valuable lessons.
The case studies, which will be about 6-10 pages long, will in-
clude
a) a detailed background of the circumstances both general and
specific, including the status of women, their health and nutri-
tional situation, their work situation, social situation, family
and community support situation, common feeding beliefs and
practices
b) the challenges faced by the women in breastfeeding their
children and how these challenges were met (or not met)
c) the womens analysis of perceived success/failure in promot-
ing breastfeeding and possible future actions.
The framework for the case studies can be had from us for your
review and consideration.
Please let us know if you would be interested in participating
in this case studies activity. You/your group could either pre-
sent a case study or identify another group from your region or
country that would be suitable and interested to submit a case
study. For those case studies selected WABA will offer the group
an honorarium of US$ 200.
Do reply by 28 October to let us know of your interest in par-
ticipating or in recommending any potential participating group.
The timeline for submitting the case studies is end January
2005. As many of the women would write in local languages, it
would be best if you could translate it for us, so as not to
lose the local flavour. Note that all case studies must be
translated into English before submission to enable final edit-
ing into a book format.
We look forward to your participation in this project.
Yours sincerely,
Lakshmi Menon and Sarah Amin
Co-coordinators, Gender Programme
WABA, PO Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +60-4-658-4816
Fax: +60-4-657-2655
mailto:waba@streamyx.com
http://www.waba.org.my
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The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global
network of individuals and organisations concerned with the pro-
tection, promotion and support of breastfeeding based on the In-
nocenti Declaration, the Ten Links for Nurturing the Future and
the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feed-
ing. Its core partners are International Baby Food Action Net-
work (IBFAN), La Leche League International (LLLI), Interna-
tional Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) and Wellstart In-
ternational, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) and LINK-
AGES. WABA is in consultative status with the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF) and an NGO in Special Consultative
Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Na-
tions (ECOSOC).