Feeding children and protecting women: The emergence of breastfeeding as an international concern

SynopsisThis article examines the emergence and development of breastfeeding as an international concern, focusing on its basis of legitimization and what discourse it (re)produces regarding breastfeeding and gender relations. Using official documents, such as conventions and declarations from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) that are often prepared in cooperation with the UNICEF, the article seeks to answer how policies are legitimized and how gender is construed. The study shows that discourse develops towards stressing medical arguments and individual behavior. This development is crucial for the construction of breastfeeding as a universal practice. Further, the idea of protection of mothers/women is found to be a key to understanding the discourse. An important feature of the article is how breastfeeding policies facilitate constructions of hierarchy among nations framed in terms of the ability to protect women and children.