sandraniven
08-04-2008, 03:16 PM
H&M Nurse-In, August 7th
H&M violates BC Human Rights Commission-protected right
Date:
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Time:
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location:
H&M - inside the store for nurse-in; signs and protest outside of the store
Street:
609 Granville Street
City/Town:
Vancouver, BC
<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32699416132>
Kind regards
Sandra Niven
Mother and Breastfeeding supporter
__________________________________________________ ___
Manuela Valle, of Vancouver BC was asked to NOT breastfeed her infant
publicly at Vancouver H&M store on Saturday, Aug 2. Below is her letter.
When she confronted the staff about her protected right being infringed upon
she was told that it is the company's policy.
I say Enough is enough and lets show these people who they are messing with.
I encourage any and all supporters of this simple but politicized and often
frowned or infringed upon basic human right to come out and join us for a
NURSE-IN. Mother-Baby dyad can be a fragile relationship in our bottle-happy
society.
NURSE-IN: Come to the store few minutes before the start and on the mark -
start nursing your child for as long as you can. RECOMMENDATION: 1) wear
something previously bought from H&M. 2) Bring a sign with a pro-public
breastfeeding sign. 3) Boycott H&M. 4) Write a letter/email to H&M or BC
Health Minister. 5) Publicly breastfeed your infant/toddler/small child.
(Not necessary in this order LOL)
************** MANUELA'S LETTER **************
Despite all the medical evidence that encourages breastfeeding, it seems
that women continue to be socially punished and made to feel ashamed when
they do it publicly. Today, I was shopping with my husband and our 2 month
baby at H&M stores at the Pacific Centre Mall, located in Granville St,
Vancouver. When he went into the fitting rooms my baby started crying, so I
naturally proceeded to breastfeed her. After a couple minutes, though, I was
approached by one of the store clerks who told me that unfortunately, I
could not breastfeed there unless I went into a special fitting room to do
it in private. When I asked why, she said it was the store policy because
what I was doing offended other customers and that there were also children
around (sorry H&M, my bad: I was not aware that the sight if breastfeeding
mother could be harmful to a child). She even said that this is the protocol
they are taught to follow during their training. At that point, two other
employees came to escort me to the fitting rooms as if I was a dangerous
criminal. I was offered to speak to the manager, a very kind man called
Guru, who explained to me again that it was the store policy, because
breastfeeding in public was offensive to some customers, and also that they
were offering me a much more comfortable space to do it. But of course, they
were not "offering" me anything, they were forcing me to do it in seclusion
or I could not do it at all. So I told them I would publicly campaign
against their policy because it is wrong and discriminatory: it punished me
for breastfeeding by putting me in seclusion and thus confirmed the idea
that public breastfeeding is offensive and shameful.
Please let's not allow this to happen to other breastfeeding moms...any
ideas?
--
Manuela Valle
PhD Student, Graduate Programme in Women's and Gender Studies
University of British Columbia
1896 East Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 Canada
H&M violates BC Human Rights Commission-protected right
Date:
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Time:
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location:
H&M - inside the store for nurse-in; signs and protest outside of the store
Street:
609 Granville Street
City/Town:
Vancouver, BC
<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32699416132>
Kind regards
Sandra Niven
Mother and Breastfeeding supporter
__________________________________________________ ___
Manuela Valle, of Vancouver BC was asked to NOT breastfeed her infant
publicly at Vancouver H&M store on Saturday, Aug 2. Below is her letter.
When she confronted the staff about her protected right being infringed upon
she was told that it is the company's policy.
I say Enough is enough and lets show these people who they are messing with.
I encourage any and all supporters of this simple but politicized and often
frowned or infringed upon basic human right to come out and join us for a
NURSE-IN. Mother-Baby dyad can be a fragile relationship in our bottle-happy
society.
NURSE-IN: Come to the store few minutes before the start and on the mark -
start nursing your child for as long as you can. RECOMMENDATION: 1) wear
something previously bought from H&M. 2) Bring a sign with a pro-public
breastfeeding sign. 3) Boycott H&M. 4) Write a letter/email to H&M or BC
Health Minister. 5) Publicly breastfeed your infant/toddler/small child.
(Not necessary in this order LOL)
************** MANUELA'S LETTER **************
Despite all the medical evidence that encourages breastfeeding, it seems
that women continue to be socially punished and made to feel ashamed when
they do it publicly. Today, I was shopping with my husband and our 2 month
baby at H&M stores at the Pacific Centre Mall, located in Granville St,
Vancouver. When he went into the fitting rooms my baby started crying, so I
naturally proceeded to breastfeed her. After a couple minutes, though, I was
approached by one of the store clerks who told me that unfortunately, I
could not breastfeed there unless I went into a special fitting room to do
it in private. When I asked why, she said it was the store policy because
what I was doing offended other customers and that there were also children
around (sorry H&M, my bad: I was not aware that the sight if breastfeeding
mother could be harmful to a child). She even said that this is the protocol
they are taught to follow during their training. At that point, two other
employees came to escort me to the fitting rooms as if I was a dangerous
criminal. I was offered to speak to the manager, a very kind man called
Guru, who explained to me again that it was the store policy, because
breastfeeding in public was offensive to some customers, and also that they
were offering me a much more comfortable space to do it. But of course, they
were not "offering" me anything, they were forcing me to do it in seclusion
or I could not do it at all. So I told them I would publicly campaign
against their policy because it is wrong and discriminatory: it punished me
for breastfeeding by putting me in seclusion and thus confirmed the idea
that public breastfeeding is offensive and shameful.
Please let's not allow this to happen to other breastfeeding moms...any
ideas?
--
Manuela Valle
PhD Student, Graduate Programme in Women's and Gender Studies
University of British Columbia
1896 East Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1 Canada