A summer family festival is set to take place for the fifth year running to celebrate all things breastfeeding.
Breastival 2021 is a virtual week of talks, workshops and fun activities designed for everyone including expectant parents, new families, experienced parents, grandparents and supporters.
It will be online from August 1 to 7, with organisers saying connecting families is all the more important this year with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
A highlight will be the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the WHO Code, which aims to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants – by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and by ensuring the proper use of breastmilk substitutes by restricting promotions that target the general public, mothers and health workers.
Breastival will host a panel discussion on the WHO code where you can learn more about it.
The festival will also be screening, online, the film Tigers by Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic. It is a film based on the true story of a former Nestlé baby milk salesman in Pakistan who took on the world’s largest food company with the help of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) to highlight its unethical practices.
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A panel discussion will take place before the screening and will include Tiger’s Writer and Producer Any Peterson and well-known TV doctor Dr Chris Van Tulleken, who in May 2021 investigated the hidden dangers in processed children’s food including formula, for a BBC One documentary What are we feeding our Kids?
The Big Virtual Global Latch takes place towards the end of the week on Saturday August 7, hosted by special guest Jen Hogan, a journalist, breastfeeding advocate and mother of seven. At 10:15am, families and supporters, all around the world, will gather online via webinar or live stream and feed their babies together.
Breastival is asking breastfeeding mothers to join online as part of this global event.
Launching this year’s festival on Sunday August 1, will be First Lady of Ireland and breastfeeding advocate, Sabina Higgins. The wife of Irish President Michael D Higgins welcomes up to 100 mothers and new babies each year to Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin.
Speaking ahead of the festival, Sabina Higgins said: “The task is educating everyone women of course, but men too, on the understanding of the importance of breastfeeding to the health not just of the baby now and in its future, but that of its mother and therefore the health of society as a whole and indeed of the planet.”
There will also be campaigning session where women can find out how they can be empowered to make change.
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Jennifer Hanratty, Board Member of Breastival, said: “This year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week is ‘protecting breastfeeding, a shared responsibility’ and I am so proud that Breastival 2021 online will feature world leaders in the global push for greater protection for all families from aggressive marketing of baby milks.”
Catherine Muldoon, Breastival Co-ordinator added: “The work that we are doing to normalise and support breastfeeding is truly transformative. Through Breastival’s online programme this year, we are able to engage with a much larger audience and move towards recognising not only the nutritional value of breastfeeding but also the societal, environmental and economic implications of not supporting breastfeeding families.”
The festival features several lunchtime and evenings talks and online support on a range of topics from breastfeeding and Covid, perinatal mental health, and a discussion with families as they talk about the celebrations and challenges of breastfeeding in a rural community and the importance of family support.
Breastival will also be having an online gig as a finale with local bands and artists to be announced, along with fun activities for all the family to join in with.
Details of all events including how to register is available on the Breastival website.
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