Alina Gross – Photographer & Olga Galaonova – Sociologist
Nowadays, your absence in social media is equal to death. When you are not present there, you are not a participant anymore. The censure, which controls and punishes, excludes out of the communicative space of social media and is becoming a kind of guillotine, killing contents and forcing important social discourses to stay hidden. This guillotine cuts extremely hard in such life spheres as motherhood and breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a symbol of life, care, motherhood and love! It is an act of security sharing, protection and warmth. However even today, breastfeeding women are rarely seen in public. They often deal with disapproving looks, critical remarks or even harassment. This is a reason for the incredible importance of images of the breastfeeding women.
Social media such as Facebook, reinforces this negative attitude of breastfeeding. The images of women with their bare breasts during breastfeeding are repeatedly erased and their accounts blocked.
This is not only the reason for stigmatization, double victimization and discrimination of breastfeeding women. Furthermore, this is an act of “delinquenting,” as breastfeeding is a human right and often is the only opportunity for a newborn to stay alive.
