In Tunisia, which is facing the country’s very low breastfeeding rate revealed by a Unicef study (13.5% 2018), women are trying to change the situation and increase awareness of the benefits of breast milk.
At the mother’s bubble, a start-up that prepares women for childbirth and breastfeeding, Dorra Ladjimi, breastfeeding counselor, responded to a lack of information. “It is the lack of training of medical staff. “You should know that women who leave clinics or hospitals immediately leave bottles of milk powder because there was a lack of information and a lack of support within the clinic,” she points out.
Another problem, prejudice … ”There are many misconceptions that breastfeeding hurts. Usually 98% of chest pains are caused by poor posture and locking. “
And when the workshop begins with Maroua, a participant who has just entered her third trimester of pregnancy, questions arise. For Maroua, information is important, but we also need a change at the political level: “It is a political position, because if the state really wanted to encourage women to breastfeed and had a national strategy, why do we have maternity leave that lasts only two months? What about the men? It’s not even three days, is it? “
Maternity leave should soon increase to two weeks, but to encourage women to continue breastfeeding with their jobs, Zarra Marrakachi, president of the Hanen Association, is raising awareness in working life, and especially men. “Eventually, we all managed to interest them. Because the brave few who participated saw that this is a problem that does not only affect women. ”
Zahra convinced two manufacturers to install a special breast pump room for their employees … Others have already done so, such as Ameni Mansouri, founder of Dabchy, an online platform for selling and buying clothes. Even added a nanny, in charge of babies, between mothers’ breastfeeding breaks. “For us who breastfeed, it is very comfortable. It is really something nice. Most people here when they take a break go to meet the children.” “
If the lines move thanks to these women, they are all asking for a national awareness of the importance of breastfeeding.
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