page_title: Breastfeeding in public
section_title: Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Breastfeeding in public / Attitudes by country and continent / Europe
caption_attribution_description: Español: Lactancia materna en el Parc de la Ciutadella de Barcelona
context_page_description: The social attitude and legal status regarding the practice of breastfeeding in public vary widely in cultures around the world. In many countries, both in the Global South and in a number of Western countries, breastfeeding babies in open view of the general public is common and generally not regarded as an issue. In many parts of the world including Australia, some parts of the United States and Europe, along with some countries in Asia, women have an explicit legal right to nurse in public and in the workplace.
  Even though the practice may be legal or socially accepted, some mothers may nevertheless be reluctant to expose a breast in public to breastfeed due to actual or potential objections by other people, negative comments, or harassment. It is estimated that around 63% of mothers across the world have publicly breast-fed. The media have reported a number of incidents in which workers or members of the public have objected to or forbidden women breastfeeding. Some mothers avoid the negative attention and choose to move to another location. But some mothers have protested their treatment, and have taken legal action or engaged in protests.
caption: Woman nursing her infant at pro-breastfeeding conference in Spain
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