Seedgrants Project

WABA launched the Mother-Friendly Workplace Initiative (MFWI) during World Breastfeeding Week 1993 to take baby-friendliness outside the hospitals and into women's working environments. The initiative aims to help women continue breastfeeding while returning to work. Over a hundred countries participated in the MFWI which also involved non-traditional supporters like women's organisations, unions and employers.

With the cooperation of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), WABA was able to sustain several local initiatives aimed at supporting working women to breastfeed by providing them with small seedgrant funds. Since 1994, over 50 organisations were awarded seedgrants for a range of initiatives, such as increasing awareness among women, workers, trade unions, employers, government officials, the media; setting up crèches and workplace support measures; advocating for better maternity protection in the formal sector and securing means for its wider implementation; undertaking research and related surveys; producing and disseminating promotional materials and publications; and establishing community support for working breastfeeding women particularly in the informal sector. A total of 66 seedgrants projects from 38 countries were supported over the 12 year period (1994-2006).

After 12 years of seedgrant experiences, WABA felt the need to document the best practices as well as the lessons learnt from the diverse projects. This idea led to the production of the book called Innovative Initiatives: Supporting Working Women’s Right to Breastfeed. The publication compiles 32 cases of innovative seedgrant projects which aim to support women combining work and breastfeeding in the formal and informal work settings in Africa, the Americas, Europe, South Asia, South East Asia, East Asia, West Asia and the Arab World.