Activists and health advocates are rightly upset over this poorly executed campaign to get Mexico City mothers to breastfeed. It shows topless celebrities with a carefully placed banner running right over their breasts that says, "No les des la espalda, dale pecho," which translates to, "Don't turn your back on them, give them your breast."
The first problem is how overtly sexualized the women are. The act of breastfeeding is not a sexual act. It vacillates between being painful, annoying, exhausting, inconvenient and heartrendingly sublime. The sexualization of breastfeeding is a large part of the reason so many people shame mothers for breastfeeding in public, and a factor in low breastfeeding rates. (This campaign by two students nicely illustrates this part of the problem.)
Let's be clear: Women are not failing to breastfeed because there aren't enough topless celebrities out there. As health advocates point out, the decision not to breastfeed is part of a complicated series of factors, including lack of paid time off and family support. To imply it's all up to the women unfairly blames them when they are unable to breastfeed.
I'm a huge advocate of how advertising can change behavior, but these ads are a waste of money. The good news is, the campaign also involves opening 92 lactation rooms throughout the city, and they've removed the topless images from the city's website.
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