World Breastfeeding Week (2023) concludes today, marking the end of a week dedicated to promoting and supporting breastfeeding. For Zainab Orume, a working parent, the journey of balancing her career and nurturing her child has been both challenging and rewarding. The busy Youth Leader with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) in Nasarawa state has navigated this delicate balance by implementing strategies such as establishing a supportive network and prioritizing tasks. Through her perseverance and determination, she has successfully integrated her role as a working parent, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to thrive in both areas.
“It has never been an easy task waking up early to prepare my kids for school and also preparing their breakfast but let me say sincerely I have a supportive husband who is ever ready to help in terms of my needs,” says Zainab Orume. She has faced the demands of her job while ensuring her child receives the benefits of breastfeeding but elaborates on her expectations for making breastfeeding at work, work.
“One is stressed with activities. From my experience, combining these two requires assistance, patience from the mother, and understanding on the part of employers. There should be a policy that allows six months of paid maternity leave for mothers. This will help working mothers achieve exclusive breastfeeding. Also, in some places of work, children are not allowed, this should be looked into as well”.
Zainab’s petitions resonate with the global calls that aim to promote the significance of breastfeeding for infants and mothers alike. The Nigerian law recognizes the concept of maternity and provides for 12 weeks of maternity for all employees. Yet, more can be done. Each year, World Breastfeeding Week adopts a unique theme to focus on various aspects of breastfeeding. For 2023, the theme “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!” is special as it serves not just as a crucial platform to advocate for breastfeeding as a fundamental right but highlights its numerous health benefits for both babies and mothers. With this year’s campaign, the focus is also on promoting practices that can help support workplace-related breastfeeding to sustain and improve progress on breastfeeding rates.
At the Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), we recognise that influential partners like faith leaders play a crucial role in advocating for exclusive breastfeeding by mothers within their communities. Through the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) project facilitated by the World Bank and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Health, CCSI collaborates with faith leaders to promote the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
Extensive research and experience have shown that exclusive breastfeeding provides numerous benefits for both the mother and the child. As such, through dedicated messages at sermons, critical life events, and meetings of faith-based organization, groups, and associations, they strongly encourage mothers and fathers to consider exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of their baby’s life, as recommended by the World Health Organization.
Insights from Faith Leaders
Julius Arabo, a pastor, and father of four from Plateau State understand the difficulties of being a working father and providing for a newborn. He asserts that this is a challenging time for both parents. Julius shares that managing young children can be tough for a working father, especially during the early stages of a newborn’s life. He explains that both parents can become restless, particularly when the baby is crying, and establishes that it is a sacrifice his wife makes. Julius stresses the importance of supporting her during this time.
“The greatest sacrifice has been done by the woman, not even done by the father. Our own (problem) is just our comfort that has been distracted. The woman makes the extra sacrifice. So, to me, the lesson is we should support the woman because they are making sacrifices that you can never imagine.”
Pastor Arabo advocates for policies that would encourage enhanced participation by fathers, especially in the weeks following the birth of a newborn.
Similarly, Yakubu Bisallah Yakubu a secretary of the Jamma’atul Nasrul Islam in Nasarawa State says he supports his wife by helping with house chores. “Sometimes I help in dropping and picking them (children) up when they go for immunization.” He admits that competing interests make it difficult to balance attention between family and work but has accepted that being a working father and a helping husband at home helps in stabilizing the family and creating mutual understanding.
Partnerships with faith leaders are effective because they don’t solely rely on teaching congregants. Instead, the shared lived experiences and lessons serve as valuable tools for community networks and platforms that aim to challenge societal norms and cultural practices that may hinder exclusive breastfeeding. By further engaging with local leaders, policymakers, and influencers, who advocate for family-friendly policies, faith leaders like Yakubu Bisallah Yakubu and Pastor Julius Arabo have played an active role in creating breastfeeding-friendly environments. Through their compassionate guidance and advocacy efforts, faith leaders contribute to supporting messages that empower mothers, which in turn significantly bolsters building healthier and more nurturing communities that prioritize the well-being and development of infants through exclusive breastfeeding.
As World Breastfeeding Week 2023 concludes, we all are encouraged to recognize and support the efforts of working parents, encouraging workplaces to provide the necessary resources and accommodations to ensure their success. Supporting a breastfeeding working mother is a journey of partnership, empathy, and understanding. By educating ourselves, offering emotional support, sharing responsibilities, and advocating for her needs, we can contribute significantly to her breastfeeding success. For couples, active involvement in this beautiful phase will not only strengthen the bond as a couple but also lay the foundation for a healthier and happier future for the child.
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About Us
The Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) is a leading Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) organization with expertise in utilizing evidence from research to implement effective strategies that address barriers preventing designated audiences from adopting recommended behaviors.
Birthed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHCCP), Baltimore, USA, and registered in 2001 as a Non-Governmental Organization with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria, CCSI continues to work towards being the center of excellence in strategic communications in Africa.
Driven by values of integrity, passion, care, innovation, and excellence, CCSI focuses on the central role of strategic communication to impact behaviors, build brands, and provide technical leadership in health and social development.
3 thoughts on “World Breastfeeding Week: Role of Faith Leaders in Nigeria”
Breastfeeding Mother’s need all the encouragement and education that we can offer as Faith Leaders to promote exclusive breastfeeding and hygiene.
I salute the Organizers of the World Breastfeeding Week 2023 program, for the positive roles and impact they have made in upholding, Improving and expanding the laudable exploits of John’s Hopkins Centre USA. Thanks.
This is a very good idea and I’m to proud of them i will always be grateful to be part of this project thank you
I sincerely appreciate this program, because it’s helps curb all forms of malnutrition amongst breastfeeding mothers,and encourages exclusive breast feeding.