Is it the minister who decides how long a child must be breastfed?

The Minister of Labor justified the proposal of a limit to breastfeeding, claiming that there are mothers who breastfeed their children later just to have reduced working hours. But is there data to prove it? And who decides how long should a child be breastfed?

This Sunday, in an interview with Jornal de Notícias, the Minister of Labor claimed that there are mothers to breastfeed children later just to have reduced working hours.

Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho He revealed not to understand why son continues to be breastfed after two years during his mother’s work hours.

This proposal of a Breastfeeding Limitwhich is part of a draft of, restricts the right to reduced hours in breastfeeding to the first two years of the baby’s life.

Asked about this, the ruler argued: “I find it difficult to conceive that after two years, a child has to be fed to the chest during work hours. This means that she can eat nothing more, which is strange. She should eat soup, You must eat other things“.

“The proper exercise of a right should not be confused with the abusive exercise of this same right. Unfortunately, we are aware of many practices in which, in fact, children seem to be breastfed to give the worker a reduced time, which is two hours a day that the employer pays, until they walk in primary school,” he said.

However, although the minister have claimed that there are episodes of abuse, no presented data that prove it. It is precisely this lack of information on the subject that has raised a wave of criticism in recent hours.

Furthermore, Who decides how long should a child be breastfed?

The Portuguese Association for Women’s Rights in Pregnancy and delivery accuses the Minister of Ignore international recommendations on breastfeeding.

Speaking to, Sara do Vale, of the Association, said that “this type of statements show a lack of deep knowledge. We are incredulous. There is no care, no social justice, there is no human dignity“.

“These allegations that women cannot enjoy a right that is their own and demonstrate that the goal is only to protect bosses and companies; and not invest in workers, families and birth,” he argues.

José Luís Carneiro also accused the Minister of Inhumanity. The PS secretary general encouraged Palma Ramalho to show concrete number of cases in which the alleged abuse occurred.

“[A ministra] It should explain how many cases of these are in the country and what is the inspection of social security is doing to seek and evaluate what terms are that these alleged situations call into question the fundamental right, ”he said.

“The inhumanity that had been adopted in relation to the Foreigners Law is also being adopted in the labor matter and the protection of women and young people and in a inhumanity that there was no memory in our country“Added the socialist.