Mexico City's 'Topless' Campaign to Encourage Breast-Feeding Backfires Carrie Kahn - NPR.org
go to original May 26, 2014

A Mexico City breast-feeding campaigned used posters featuring topless celebrities. At least "La Barbie," a female boxer (shown here), had her boxing gloves on. (Latin Times)

Mexico City health official launched a new campaign this month to boost the image of nursing mothers. But posters of topless toned actresses weren't exactly the message women's groups and health advocates had hoped for.

"We were very surprised once the campaign was launched," says Regina Tames, of the reproductive rights group GIRE.

She was taken aback by pictures of topless actresses and one of the female boxer known as "La Barbie." She was shirtless, too — although she did have on her boxing gloves.

The stars aren't totally bare: a strategically placed banner crosses their chests. Written on the banner is the campaign's slogan in Spanish: "Don't turn your back on them ... Give them your breast."

"It's not only a very terrible campaign in terms of how it looks, but it's also the message that if you don't breast-feed, you are a bad mother and you are the one to blame," Tames says.

Read the rest at NPR.org



The posters also received criticism for featuring only light-skinned women. (Twitter/@fredric_wertham)

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