Hi everyone! My name is Divya Goel, and I am a sophomore studying Public Health and Spanish on a Pre-Medical track. This summer is my first experience as a Reproductive Rights & Reproductive Health Intern. I am excited to be working as a research aide under Dr. Katherine Johnson on a study about the breastfeeding experience of working women.
Despite the passage of new standards under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requiring employers to provide break time and a private place for breast feeding to accommodate working and nursing mothers, women who breastfeed and work or attend school still face obstacles. This issue is interesting because it examines, to name a few things, underlying misogyny in our society, differing attitudes towards women of different races and ethnicities, and how conducive varying workplace environments are to breastfeeding.
As a Public Health student, I was drawn to this project because of the health benefits of breastfeeding. Society should be accepting of a phenomenon that is natural and healthful, and it is important to look at how women who breastfeed in working conditions truly feel and how we can make these conditions more conducive to such a crucial function of motherhood. Women who want to breastfeed should not have to give up working, and women who need to work should not have to compromise on breastfeeding. Women are a vital and valuable aspect of society and should be treated as such.
I’m eager to hear about the other projects that fall under NCI’s Reproductive Health & Reproductive Rights Program, delve into this project, and meet some incredible women and leaders in the process!