Dear Suzy
Advice column
10
Dear Suzy,
The other day I was sitting on a park bench while I decided to breast feed my baby. After about a minute or two, I was realizing I was getting a lot of dirty looks and then a man came towards me and said to cover up because it was disgusting how exposed I was. I feel women have a right to feed her child whether they are in public or not. Why is there so much controversy on this topic?
-Anonymous
Answer:
Dear anonymous reader,
According to a study, 34% of people in Canada find breastfeeding in public innapropriate. But why? The main arguments are the loss of decency, and also it can be dangerous as it may lead to harrassment from people nearby. However, what these people are failing to understand is that breastfeeding is one of the necessities a parent must provide for a child: food. Whether it is in public or not, when a child is hungryy, it is essential that a parent must provide them with food and nutrition in order to support the growing body. Therefore to deprive a woman of a right to feed her child is depriving
her the right to feed and provide the basic life necessities to her child.
I understand that this topic will never fully be agreed upon by everyone, but it is important to understand that at some point, we were all babies relying upon our parents to feed and nurture us. Breastfeeding in public is a natural process that should be celebrated, not judged. Unfortunately, society in Western culture has sexualized breasts, which is contributing to the issue of breastfeeding in public. The media can be vulgar towwards the sexualization of women, and this is just a strong example of how society latches onto social norms.
In all, if it is socially acceptable for humans to eat anywhere and everywhere, why is it different for a baby to do the same? Life neccessities must be met, and media and the social norms are mainly to blame for this issue. Thankfully, in Canada, breastfeeding in public is completely legal and you are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. Therefore, continue to do so if you feel comfortable, and know that you are protected by law and the people harassing you, are simply falling into what media depicts as sexual.
-Suzy