Mother-Friendly Workplace  Initiative 
WABA's Seedgrants Project from 1994-1997   

WABA launched the Mother-Friendly Workplace Initiative (MFWI) during World Breastfeeding Week 1993 to take baby-friendliness outside the hospitals and into women's working environments. The initiative aims to help women continue breastfeeding while returning to work.  

Over a hundred countries participated in the MFWI which also involved non-traditional supporters like women's organisations, unions and employers.  

With the cooperation of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), WABA was able to sustain several local initiatives aimed at supporting working women to breast feed by providing them with small seed-grant funds. Since 1994, ten national groups were given seed-grants to assist them in setting up mother-friendly workplaces and in organising various activities that would bring longer term benefits to working women like better maternity leave, job security and a more supportive community for mothers and children.  

WABA recognises that every mother is a working woman, whether she be a professional, a factory worker or a "housewife". The Sida seed-grant project therefore supports women working in all sectors - formal, informal and at home. The ten groups supported in phase I of the project consist of women working in a variety of work settings - from factories and schools to local markets and fishing communities. For phase II (1998 onwards) of the project, WABA will continue to assist groups with small seed-grants.   

A handbook, Being Mother-friendly: a practical guide for working women and breastfeeding was published in 1996 and can be obtained from the WABA Secretariat.  
  

Some Country Experiences  

ARUGAAN - Manila, Philippines  

Cameroon Infant Feeding Association (CIFAS)   
Yaounde, Cameroon  

Ghana Infant Nutrition Action Network (GINAN)  
Accra, Ghana, West Africa  

Green Valley Trust - Madras, India  

India Rural Reconstruction & Disaster Response Service (PREPARE) Madras, India  

Sagkeeng-Anicinabe Project (to Encourage Breastfeeding by Adolescent Mothers Returning to School) - Sakeeng, Canada  

Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network (SINAN)  
Mbabane, Swaziland  

The Federation of Community Centres of Justice and Peace Commission Bombay, India  

A Study of the problems of mothers who have been deprived of breastfeeding their children and children who have been deprived of breastmilk - Family Organisation of the Disappeared, Sri Lanka