Parliament undertakes to spearhead a campaign to ensure all workplaces have facilities that enable mothers to breastfeed. This will make mothers take care of their babies in order to uphold rights of children and also ensure efficiency.
The speaker of parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga says that if the campaign is successful, the country will have a policy in place which will require all employers and Government departments to adhere to. Kadaga was speaking at the opening of a new breastfeeding centre at parliament which will be exclusively used by members of parliament and staff of parliament. She says that parliament was forced by the women members of parliament to have this facility after they threatened to go with their babies in the parliamentary chamber when there is a parliamentary session.
The facility which can currently house 8 babies has been set up in one of the buildings recovered from the president’s office with parliament spending 90 million shillings to refurbish and equip it. Parliamentary commissioners Rose Akol and Rosemary Seninde say that this facility will be helpful since staff of parliament and MPs will have to reduce on the number of days they spend on maternity leave.
GALLERY
