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HONG KONG, 17 November 2023 – ‘Say Yes To Breastfeeding’ Acknowledgment Ceremony 2023 was held by Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) today to recognize and commend the continuous support of participating corporations and organizations towards promoting breastfeeding.

Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK, welcomes the government’s initiative of establishing a breastmilk bank and formulating the related mechanism for breastmilk donation in the Policy Address 2023, believing it would be a catalyst for a breastfeeding friendly community. She added, "I am delighted to see more and more corporations becoming breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and organizing employee training related to breastfeeding. This not only reduces parenting stress but also promotes positive parenting." She emphasized that UNICEF HK's efforts echo with UNICEF’s Family Friendly Policy, aiming to provide comprehensive nurturing and development for children while benefiting both businesses and families.

Mr. Chu Man Kin Ricky, Chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission; Dr Ho Mei Lin, Acting Consultant Community Medicine (Family and Student Health) of Department of Health, the Government of HKSAR; and Dr. Wong Ming-sum Rosanna, Chairperson of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association, suggested during the guest sharing session that to support working mothers, corporations could offer paid breastfeeding breaks of 30 minutes each working day and establish mechanisms and policies to address related discrimination.

During the ceremony, participating corporations and organizations were presented with awards and certificates, marking their unwavering commitment to the ‘Say Yes To Breastfeeding’ campaign. Launched by UNICEF HK in 2015, the campaign has been pivotal in raising public awareness of the needs of breastfeeding mothers. Since its inception, the campaign has successfully engaged a network of over 7,000 corporate members and 63,000 professionals, making great strides in its mission through collaborations with various chambers of commerce and social welfare organizations.

Today’s event not only underlined the importance of societal support for breastfeeding mothers, but also demonstrated the collective effort of various sectors towards this noble cause.

For more information about ‘Say Yes To Breastfeeding’, please visit: https://www.sayyestobreastfeeding.hk/

Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK, is giving a speech ©UNICEFHK/2023

From left to right: Dr. Ho Mei Lin, Acting Consultant Community Medicine (Family and Student Health) of Department of Health; Dr. Barbara Lam, Council Member of UNICEF HK; Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mr. Ricky Chu Man-Kin, Chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission; Dr. Wong Ming-sum Rosanna, Chairperson of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association ©UNICEFHK/2023

Group photo with participating guests ©UNICEFHK/2023