World breastfeeding week is celebrated every year from August 1 to 7. In SA, it coincides with women’s month and gives us the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come and how far we still have to go to achieve gender equity in different spheres of life.

It is even more reason for us in the academic sphere to stop and think about the areas of support that may still need attention and effort to correct. In the context of protecting breastfeeding this would speak to the code of good conduct in the labour act that affords pregnant and breastfeeding women protection and support. In extreme cases it means protection from exposure to hazardous substances, but in the general setting of the work environment this relates to workplace support for a private and safe place to express breastmilk...