Media Release: Beijing World Conference on Women

Schaumburg, IL (October, 1995)-La Leche League International (LLLI) sent three representatives to the Fourth World Conference on Women which met September 4-15 in Beijing, China.

Rebecca Magalhaes, Director of International Action & Development for LLLI at the Schaumburg office, worked with Marian Tompson, an LLLI Founder, and Vickie Nizin, an LLL Leader from New Jersey, to network with other breastfeeding support organizations. Together the organizations presented several workshops on breastfeeding during the Non-Governmental Organization Forum and lobbied at the conference to see that breastfeeding was included in the text of the United Nations Platform for Action.

"The nicest thing about the conference was being part of the combined efforts of all the breastfeeding groups," said Magalhaes. Other groups working under the banner of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) included the Infant Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA) and breastfeeding organizations from Norway and Sweden. It was the Norwegian government which introduced a paragraph on breastfeeding and working women in the economic section of the document.

A workshop presented by the various breastfeeding groups included information on the World Health Organization (WHO) Code for the marketing of infant formulas, paid employment and breastfeeding, mother-to-mother support, and breastfeeding and health care.

La Leche League International is recognized as the world's foremost authority on breastfeeding. The organization, which offers breastfeeding support and information, reaches 100,000 women in 60 countries each month. For more information about breastfeeding, finding a La Leche League breastfeeding support group or La Leche League write to 957 N. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg, Illinois, 60173-5194 or in the US call 1-800-LA -LECHE.

Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:32 UTC 2007.