Since 2018, the necessary regulations to establish dedicated breastfeeding areas within workplaces have remained unformulated.
This oversight has been highlighted by Savia Orfanidou, a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Rally (DISY), who pointed out the significant impact this has on working mothers.
Orfanidou criticised certain employers for failing to recognise the importance of breastfeeding, stating, “some employers who do not understand the great need and how much breastfeeding benefits the child, making it difficult for women, their employees who choose to breastfeed their child.”
The issue extends to the point where women are forced to leave their workplaces to breastfeed, only to face salary deductions from their employers. Orfanidou said, “Women leave their job to go breastfeed and their employers deduct from their salary.”
The House Health Committee convened this morning to review the progress of drafting these much-needed regulations.
Although initial regulations for the operation of breastfeeding areas were drafted, they were subsequently withdrawn due to various objections and disagreements, as well as specific recommendations.
The revised regulations now aim not only to introduce breastfeeding spaces in workplaces but also in public areas such as airports, shopping centres, hospitals, and universities.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that the draft regulations are currently undergoing a consultation process.
The Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) suggested that workplace breastfeeding areas need not be permanent fixtures, especially in buildings where such a provision is impractical. Instead, there should be a mandate to create such spaces as and when needed by breastfeeding employees.
A spokesperson for the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE) lamented the delay in forming a special committee to address this issue, remarking, “From 2018, the establishment of a special committee has been awaited, but we are in 2024 and still waiting.”
