President of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs Chief Willie Gray Plasua says women need to reprioritise what’s really important and that’s their children.

“It is important to think about breastfeeding first then other things, because that is a human being that they need to take care of,” Malvatumauri president says.

World breastfeeding week ends this Sunday and according to interviews conducted in and around the capital, the modern-day working mum might not have enough time to do it ‘the right way’.

Stress, coupled with a full-time job and other financial commitments are the factors that are challenging the societal expectations that all mothers are obliged to breastfeed.

Human rights activist Anne Pakoa says, “Life is hard now, mothers express that they have worries and carry a lot of stress which affects their milk production.”

Despite these challenges, the President of Malvatumauri is encouraging the modern-day Vanuatu mother to prioritise their child first.