hen Ann
Martin of Montreal was breastfeeding her three month old daughter
Audrey in Montreal's Westmount Square Shopping Mall in 1994, she
was told by a security guard to cover up or leave. Humiliated,
Martin took her complaint to the Quebec Human Rights Commission
(Commission des Droits de la Personne et des Droits de la Jeunesse).
Late last year the Commission recommended that the shopping mall
and the security firm each pay Ms. Martin $1250 in damages
and that this payment of restitution should be made by January
31, 1996 or further legal action would be taken..
In a show of solidarity, on January 19th, about 20 women staged a feed-in at the Westmount Square.
Early this February Ms. Martin received a total of $2,500 from the mall owners and the security firm. The mall owners have now stated that they recognize a woman's right to breastfeed in public places.
In Victoria the case of Michelle Poirier continues to move slowly through the complaints process.
Ms. Poirier filed a complaint in 1992 with the BC Council of Human Rights after the Ministry of Municipal Affairs refused to accommodate her need to breastfeed her child during the working day. The Ministry prohibited her from bringing her child to a Ministry sponsored public event because she intended to breastfeed. After hearings the BC Council of Human Rights determined that enough evidence exists to warrant a judicial review.
Ms. Poirier's hearing has been rescheduled several times because of technicalities. The next hearing is set for March 11, 1996. No doubt this is a case to watch. It is expected to set a precedent that will impact on whether or not women have equal opportunity to fully participate in all aspects of the workplace and society.