The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) advocates for a breastfeeding inclusive society.
ABA does this by:
1. increasing awareness of the importance of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support amongst key policy and decision makers
2. developing strategic alliances with relevant and influential organisations.
Position statements
As the peak body and leading voice for breastfeeding and breastfeeding support in Australia, ABA has developed a series of position statements that explain our views on important issues:
Submission to the Australian Parliamentary Enquiry into the Provision of general practitioner and related primary health services to outer metropolitan, rural, and regional Australians
ACCC Reauthorisation of the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas - ABA attendance at pre-decision conference, including statement from ABA President Margaret Grove.
Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (WGE Act)
The review is seeking feedback on how to improve workplace gender equality and will consider the current legislation and gender indicators, including the gender pay gap and employment figures. Improving gender equality in the workplace benefits everyone – individuals, families, and business. ABA’s submission highlights the gender inequalities breastfeeding women can experience when they return to work from maternity leave, and the importance of providing them with workplace support. Our submission details ABA’s position on the need to implement the recommendations of the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy (ANBS), including its recommendation that all Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies must gain accreditation from ABA as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace. We also highlighted the need for paid lactation breaks in the workplace and protection of maternity leave, including provisions made for partners offered in addition to maternity leave. If you are interested in reading ABA’s submission, it can be found here.
Collaborations
ABA is actively working to foster collaborations with academics and universities to:
· provide ABA with support for external research applications
· maintain links with breastfeeding researchers
· maintain ABA as Australia's breastfeeding authority
· provide to collaborating universities a collection of ABA-preferred research topics for universities to include in their topic lists for post-graduate students.
Australian Catholic University (ACU) School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
ABA entered into a formal agreement with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) in early 2021.
The two organisations have agreed to work together for the benefit of either or both organisations or the wider community.
An ABA portal has been added to the ACU student learning management system where students can learn about and access ABA resources, products, services and memberships.
In 2021, a prize of an ABA Professional Membership was awarded to a graduating midwife who demonstrated commitment to lactation knowledge and breastfeeding support.
Join Us Research Register https://www.georgeinstitute.org/join-us-register
The Join Us Research Register (Join Us) allows Australians to participate in life-saving health and medical research. It is a secure register that matches participants with research studies addressing Australia’s biggest health challenges.
ABA has partnered with Join Us since early 2021 and is represented on both Partner Organisation Committee and the Consumer Engagement & Recruitment Advisory Committee.
ABA’s involvement came about because of a need for breastfeeding women to be included, not actively excluded, in research studies, particularly clinical trials of new treatments including vaccinations.
ABA has agreed to promote Join Us through our networks with the goal of recruiting research participants.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 FINAL_ABA 2022 Election Priorities_April22.pdf | 3.18 MB |
| ALP ResponseToABA_May2022.pdf | 515.85 KB |
| LNP ResponseToABA_May2022.pdf | 128.72 KB |
| Greens ResponseToABA_May2022.pdf | 166.97 KB |