Watch: North West BAPS unveil their mural for breastfeeding awareness in Derry

The mural shows a mother breastfeeding her child. However, the depiction is censored with the aim of sparking a question on breastfeeding in Derry.

Derry has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world said BAPS. The mural was commissioned with the hope of spreading awareness.

Sinn Féin Colr. and co-chair of BAPS, Sandra Duffy said: “Today we are launching and unveiling this amazing mural that is a testament to the ladies and families involved with Northwest Baps, who have been so dedicated to ensuring that we normalise breastfeeding.

“We have one of the worst breastfeeding rates in the world, we must get the message out to people that breastfeeding is normal, breastfeeding should be celebrated and we as a community should be supporting each other on our breastfeeding journeys.”

Colr. Duffy told the Journal what the censorship meant to her. “That symbolises to me that in terms of this council area the difficulties and obstacles that we have and how it is nearly not normalised and how it is nearly censored within our communities, bottle feeding is seen as the normal way to feed a child whereas breastfeeding from the beginning of time is the normal way to feed a baby and the bond that creates between mummy and baby is so key.

“Unfortunately in this council area it has nearly been censored, women who are breastfeeding feel that they need to hide away, that they can't do it in public; that they need to be in bedrooms or their own homes, and that has a knock-on effect to feeding the baby,” said Colr. Duffy.

North West BAPS volunteer and Coordinator of the Mural Project, Sinead O'Kane said: “We wanted to put it up because Derry, unfortunately, has among the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world.

“We thought because we have so many beautiful murals in this city, why not put another one up, something that will make people stop and think and get a conversation going around it.”

Speaking on the censorship, Sinead said: “It's a symbolisation of what it's like to feed here in Derry. Unfortunately, it's still a bit of a taboo subject, it feels that it is censored to mums who are feeding, we feel a bit awkward sometimes and people around us would feel awkward. There is a lack of education here in Derry and we want to know why, why is it that here the figures are so low.”

You can find North West BAPS Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/p/North-West-BAPS-100088102847941/?locale=en_GB