Our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In 2022, ABA began to take a focused approach to diversity and inclusion. Work commenced to put in place commitments, plans and policies to ensure that inclusion is a key consideration in our work and volunteering environments, and the breastfeeding information, support and education programs we provide to women, new parents and families.
We know that we have more work to do and we are committed to learning more and challenging ourselves to go further to deliver on our vision of a breastfeeding inclusive society for all.
Diversity and Inclusion Board Advisory Committee
In 2022, the ABA Board of directors established the Association's first Diversity and Inclusion Board Advisory Committee, with the aim of enhancing ABA’s capacity to meet the needs of our personnel and parents from diverse communities.
Committee membership is open to ABA financial members and appointment is made based upon commitment to drive diversity and inclusion progress, as well as the diverse lived experiences, backgrounds, skills and capabilities members bring to the group.
The committee is tasked with assessing the Association’s current position in relation to diversity and inclusion and co-designing an action plan to address need in partnership with the ABA Board.
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
ABA recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live and upon which ABA's offices are based and our services operate.
We acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been birthing and breastfeeding on Country in Australia for more than 60,000 years.
ABA is developing a RAP as a roadmap for supporting the Association to enhance our capacity to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander personnel, breastfeeding mothers, parents and health professionals.
We wish to ensure that the ABA community and its services are accessible, appropriate, affordable and acceptable to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers, babies and families. By so doing, ABA will help to address the legacy of colonisation which continues to impact the health of First Nations people.
We are currently mapping our historic reconciliation journey to understand where we are today and to inform our future plans.
Support for the LGBTIQA+ community
ABA welcomes and supports LGBTIQA+ parents and families who wish to make human milk available to their babies and infants.
Our dedicated resource, Breastfeeding, chestfeeding and human milk feeding provides information and support to the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and more) community. It covers breastfeeding, chest feeding and human milk feeding, aiming to be inclusive of all LGBTQIA+ families. The book is a collaboration between Rainbow Families NSW and ABA.
Our 24/7 LGBTQIA+ breastfeeding education online module offers information and resources to help LGBTQIA+ parents prepare for breastfeeding and the early days a newborn. The module includes a welcome from the co-founder of Rainbow Families NSW as well as lived experience interviews with five new parents from the LGBTQIA+ community.
ABA's use of sex-specific and gender-inclusive language
In May 2024, the Board of directors finalised a new policy on the use of sex-specific and gender-inclusive language in ABA. The development process took many months and involved guidance from our partner Rainbow Families NSW, significant consultation with volunteer and staff leaders within the Association, as well as a final review by the ABA Diversity and Inclusion Board Advisory Committee.
We also surveyed almost 1,000 Australians aged 18-45 years, to ensure that the policy met the expectations of the wider Australian community.
