An Indian magazine cover featuring a woman breastfeeding is getting a lot of online attention.
This month’s issue of Grihalakshmi includes model Gilu Joseph on the cover.
Gilu is pictured in the Kerala magazine breastfeeding a baby alongside the headline “Mothers tell Kerala: don’t stare, we need to breastfeed.”
"Don't stare, we are #breastfeeding!"
Grihalakshmi March 1st Issue is out, which speaks about the importance of breastfeeding, and the taboos revolving around it. pic.twitter.com/CtobpNInMO
— Grihalakshmi (@Grihalakshmi_) March 1, 2018
The magazine’s editor, Moncy Joseph, said that the cover was necessary to try and break some of the stigmas that still exist around breastfeeding in public in India.
Women in the country are expected to dress modestly and this includes mothers who need to feed their children.
Joseph told the BBC he was inspired by an image of an Indian woman breastfeeding in public that went viral on social media.
He said the image in question sparked a debate around whether it was acceptable or not.
He said:
“A month ago, a man shared a picture of his wife breastfeeding on Facebook to start a conversation about letting mothers feed in public spaces.
“But the result was that the woman was subjected to cyber-bullying from both men and women.
“That is why we decided to dedicate our latest issue to breastfeeding mothers.”
#GiluJoseph, the model behind the Grihalakshmi cover, speaks about it.
Watch: https://t.co/ILsgfdeQOv
— Grihalakshmi (@Grihalakshmi_) March 2, 2018
Many people praised Joseph for his decision to include model Gilu on the cover of his magazine.
They said that it was high time that breastfeeding became normalised for mothers in India.
I particularly like the way the woman is looking bang into the reader’s eye (with a smile) driving the point home.
When a mom #breastfeeding in public gets stared at, this is exactly how she should stare back. WITH A SMILE.
— Ardra Balachandran (@ardramaanasam) February 28, 2018
Exclusive #breastfeeding for the first six months gives babies the best start in life. #EveryChildALIVE
Congratulations to @Grihalakshmi_ and @Mathrubhumi for supporting breastfeeding. #ForEveryChild, health https://t.co/WPBxfVdgxG— UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) March 1, 2018
However, others criticised the magazine’s choice of using a model instead of a real breastfeeding mother.
The child that Gilu is holding is not her own, but Joseph said that he did try to find a mother for the cover – he just couldn’t.
He did add, however, that there are photos of real mothers breastfeeding inside the magazine.
Was she #breastfeeding?
Cause she didnt have a baby and i dont think her breasts produce any milk.Shes just mouthing her breast on someone else’s baby!!
I wouldnt have mind if you’d shown the real mother.
— Vineet Nayar (@vineetznayar) March 2, 2018
Breastfeeding is so sublime that no mother will do for a photoshoot. Our mother has given breastfeeding without any campaign, this is a commercial gimmick in the name of celebrating motherhood
— Bless.T.Anto (@bless_t_) March 1, 2018
But a much needed one be it a gimmick or whatever .
— shifatd (@shifatd) March 2, 2018
Either way, the cover sends an important message to people who may not think it appropriate to breastfeed in public – women are going to do it anyway, regardless of what you think.
