Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Taipei City Public Breastfeeding Self-governing Act has been approved by the Executive Yuan, and will be effective from April 1st 2010.

Legalized Breastfeeding Rights, Penalties May Incur for Violations
Taipei City Government officially announced the “Taipei City Public Breastfeeding Self-governing Act” on 2009 December 22nd, which is the nation's first time, through law, protecting women's right to breastfeed. This Act clearly specifies the right for women to breastfeed in public areas such as parks, streets, markets, public transportation, and bus stations, anyone stopping, expelling, or conducting any other behaviors affecting the breastfeeding, will incur a fine of NT$5,000 to a maximum fine of NT$30,000, effective April 1st of this year.

Advocating Breastfeeding – First in Taiwan
To ensure the right of the women and the infant, Taipei City has, over the years, continuously promoted various breastfeeding policies. Starting from 2001, the city began the promotion of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, to encourage breastfeeding. Since 2005 it has been planning the "Taipei City Public Breastfeeding Self-governing Act", and finally after four years, it passed the three readings by the Taipei City Council on 2009 June 29th last year. The Central Government approved this Act in December the same year, thus making it the nation's first law protecting the women's right to public breastfeeding. This provided a more friendly and supportive environment for women breastfeeding in Taipei City, and will hopefully remove any concerns women may have about public breastfeeding, allowing infants and breastfeeding women to have the rights that should have belonged to them.

Breastfeeding anywhere, anytime
Apart from giving women the right to breastfeed in public, the “Taipei City Public Breastfeeding Self-governing Act” also states that no one should ask a woman to stop breastfeeding or retreat to a breastfeeding facility on the grounds that such a facility is available. Any violation against the act by employees in public places, employer could face penalty unless proof of evidence is provided that such violation was not due to internal regulations. Employer is held responsible for providing knowledge of public breastfeeding to employees.The Department of Health, Taipei City Government encourages a positive attitude and moves towards breastfeeding. We hope to raise breastfeeding rate by proactively encouraging the City's birth delivering medical institutes to participate in “Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative” accreditation, and strengthening health education promotion on the issue.

Taipei Keeps up with the World
Breastfeeding promotion is now a global movement. Developed countries in Europe and America, as well as Australia, South Africa and Hong Kong have stipulated laws and regulations that legalize breastfeeding in public. In the U.S., 39 out of the 50 states legalized breastfeeding in both private and public places. Norway provides a supportive environment for breastfeeding, thus holds the world's highest breastfeeding rate of 98%. Taipei took the lead nationally in the announcement of implementation for introducing the concept of legalizing breastfeeding. We hope to not only raise public's awareness to the issue, but also provide a supporting environment for breastfeeding similar in Europe and America. This policy will allow future generation better health and the rights to breastfeed.

Source: Department of Health,Taipei City Government