For the third consecutive year, on Sunday 17 September, the “I’m hungry, I’m eating” movement took place across France. The goal: to normalize breastfeeding in public spaces and defend the right to breastfeed your baby as you wish.
“ September 17th: boobs, bibs and food away! It’s awesome and it’s FREE! » insists the event website #Jaifaimjemange. More than 80 photographers and hundreds of families mobilized this Sunday across France, and even abroad, to immortalize parents breastfeeding their children in multiple ways.
A movement born to defend breastfeeding in public spaces
In the spring of 2021, in Bordeaux, a young mother reported being physically attacked while breastfeeding her baby, waiting in line at a relay point. A wave of indignation then spread to France, and this was the starting point of a protest movement, led by the photographer Ana Ki.
He organized a first “nurse-in” in Bordeaux. “ The basis of the movement is the defense of breastfeeding in public spaces ” explains, ” but I immediately extended it to the right to feed ourselves how we want, how we can, where we can. The genesis of #Jaifaimjemange is a movement against injunctions, love and freedom. »
Other editions arose in the rest of the country, then the movement grew from year to year. “ We were 10 photographers the first year, 50 the second and now more than 80, especially in other countries such as Italy, Switzerland or Belgium. I’m thinking of organizing a session in the United States too, I hope that the movement will one day become global, affecting women all over the world” says the founder of the event.
A common date has been chosen from 2023 to give more strength to the event. In Paris, this Sunday, the photographer Dalale Shoeir invited her parents to the Place du Trocadéro, in front of the Eiffel Tower. Present since the first year, this movement is close to her heart.
“ I am a mother of four children, I breastfed two of them and I faced the gaze of others. My son just came back to the small section, in front of the teacher, he asked me to breastfeed, I felt a little helpless, even though I didn’t feel any judgement. But I don’t feel guilty about breastfeeding, I help normalize breastfeeding, so that we stop looking at these mothers with suspicion. Breastfeeding provides nourishment, but also hydration, and no one should hold back from breastfeeding their thirsty baby, because now is not the time or place. »
Among the participants on site there are mainly breastfeeding mothers, sometimes accompanied by their spouses. The reasons that pushed them to move all converge towards the same point: “ Breastfeeding is not very popular in France compared to Canada where I lived before, I want to help normalize breastfeeding » « I once felt embarrassed while breastfeeding in a public space » « I do it for activism, so that we can breastfeed wherever we want, whenever we want. “.
Don’t leave bottles aside
While it is mostly breastfeeding mothers who are subject to the injunction not to breastfeed their children in public spaces, bottle-feeding parents suffer from other injunctions and feelings of guilt. “ There are fathers who come and many mothers who give the bottle, mothers who have felt guilty for the way they breastfeed their children. Giving them a place in the movement helps legitimize them. They give so much love by donating the bottle! » recalls Ana Kï.
“There is a lot of hypocrisy in society about this. On the one hand we have theThe World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months, and on the other hand, in the maternity ward, we rarely give good advice and have to return to work every three months. After this limit, it is difficult to continue breastfeeding.
And mothers who don’t want to breastfeed are accused of giving the bottle from the start. It’s very ambivalent, food crystallizes injunctions on motherhood. #Jaifaimjemange tries to reconcile them, with a message of freedom and tolerance. »
A struggle that finds little resonance among politicians
“ If the movement continues to grow it is because there are always things to fight. When he runs out of strength, we will have succeeded. » explains the photographer. “ For the moment things do not change, there is still news regarding women who are prohibited from breastfeeding in public places. While it wouldn’t occur to us to forbid giving a bottle or a cake as a gift. Defending breastfeeding in the public space also means de-eroticizing the breastfeeding breast. Breastfeeding is a physiological act, not an erotic one. »
In 2021, LREM MP Fiona Lazaar presented a bill to the National Assembly to create an offense of hindering breastfeeding, punishable by a fine of 1,500 euros. The proposal remained a dead letter and no follow-up was given.
Movement #Jaifaimjemange for his part he has not yet challenged the politicians. “ It is possible that I will do so in the future However, the founder of the movement believes. Meanwhile, in 2024, a new edition will be held, on a single date. “ We will be back more than ever next year, there is still everything to do! The 2024 edition will be held in spring, in May or June, to take advantage of the sunny days without having to rush back to school. »
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
