Policies of Breastfeeding Promotion in Spain and Europe: an Analysis from Gender

Abstract

Breastfeeding is eagerly promoted in child-mother health strategies, mainly because of the advantages for the newborns. This article is a recapitulation of different strategies developed during the last years to promote breastfeeding in Europe, generally, and Spain, specifically. We have tried to identify reasons of women to stop breastfeeding or not to breastfeed at all. The aim is to remark the invisible women problems that do not appear in expert documents, that present breastfeeding as a process based on education and motivation, full of advantages. To end up, we have tried to highlight some measures which could be applied in our environment, from the perspective that tasks involving caring for others and sustaining life are half by half women and men responsibility and should be prioritized in public policies and public budgets.