Breastival at NI Human Rights Festival
Breastival has taken part in the Human Rights Festival over a number of years.
As part of the Northern Ireland Festival of Human Rights in December 2018, Breastival hosted ‘Let Down’, a dance performance based on the experiences of breastfeeding mothers.
Let Down was developed by Dr Aoife McGrath, a choreographer and lecturer in Drama at Queen’s University Belfast and psychologist Dr Jennifer Hanratty, a research fellow at Queen’s and the co-founder of Breastival Belfast.The performance interweaves movement, verbatim text, and an original soundscape (composed by RTÉ Choice Prize 2018 winner, Sorca McGrath, of Ships Music), to give voice to women's experiences of keeping tiny humans alive.
Click here to read more about Let Down.
As part of the Northern Ireland Festival of Human Rights in December 2018, Breastival hosted ‘Let Down’, a dance performance based on the experiences of breastfeeding mothers.
Let Down was developed by Dr Aoife McGrath, a choreographer and lecturer in Drama at Queen’s University Belfast and psychologist Dr Jennifer Hanratty, a research fellow at Queen’s and the co-founder of Breastival Belfast.The performance interweaves movement, verbatim text, and an original soundscape (composed by RTÉ Choice Prize 2018 winner, Sorca McGrath, of Ships Music), to give voice to women's experiences of keeping tiny humans alive.
Click here to read more about Let Down.
Breastfeeding and human rights
In 2017, Breastival and the Centre for Children’s Rights presented a panel discussion on the right to support and protection for those who choose to breastfeed and unbiased information on alternatives to breastmilk for those who need it.
The UN convention on the rights of the child, article 24 speaks of the: "right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health... States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures... To ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breastfeeding...".
In practice, this right needs to translate into support and protection for the mother/child dyad that chooses to breastfeed and unbiased information on alternatives to breastmilk for those who need it.
The panel discussed how far we in Northern Ireland have come in recent years to uphold that right and what more needs to be done to ensure these rights are protected.
In 2017, Breastival and the Centre for Children’s Rights presented a panel discussion on the right to support and protection for those who choose to breastfeed and unbiased information on alternatives to breastmilk for those who need it.
The UN convention on the rights of the child, article 24 speaks of the: "right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health... States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures... To ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breastfeeding...".
In practice, this right needs to translate into support and protection for the mother/child dyad that chooses to breastfeed and unbiased information on alternatives to breastmilk for those who need it.
The panel discussed how far we in Northern Ireland have come in recent years to uphold that right and what more needs to be done to ensure these rights are protected.