Column: Black women health - Breastfeeding: Empowering Black Women

Abstract

Breastfeeding is related to women’s reproduction and health. All women have the right to breastfeed as enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Breastfeeding also is related to women’s sexuality so, it is a gender issue and takes place to empowering women. Breastfeeding is particularly difficult for the black woman, marginalized by poverty, violence, poor nutritional status, job insecurities and gender/race inequalities.

Keywords

• women
• blacks
• racism
• sexism
• breastfeeding