A group of young mothers, this morning, protested with a “mamatón” in front of the Colegio Superior de Señoritas (all girls college), in San José after the director of that school forbade one of the students to breastfeed her baby.
Lisbet Herrera, director of the school, aruged in a letter to the mother of the 15 year old student, that the schoolgirl was not authorized to breastfeed her three month infant inside the school and should do so before coming to class.
Maribel Matthiew told La Nacion, “my idea was to be allowed to breastfeed my baby at least once a day. But they told me it was prohibitied inside the institution”.
Valerie Espinoza, organizer of the breastfeeding protest, told the press that the school also forbade the girl from pumping breastmilk every three hours because the school did not have the infrastructure necessary.
According to Espinoza, the school director’s action contradicts national legislation that protects the rights to breastfeed, citing several acts: the Política Nacional de Lactancia Materna, Ley de lactancia materna, Código de la niñez y Adolescencia and a directive by Ministerio de Educación Pública.
Rocio Solís, director of the Contraloría de Derechos Estudiantiles del Ministerio de Educación Pública ( MEP) – Director of Student Rights Comptroller of the Ministry of Public Education – said the Costa Rican educational system is very respectul of the law assuring breastfeeding.
