ANU staff campaigning for the university to better support breastfeeding and parenting on campus have secured funding to conduct an audit of facilities on campus.
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The $10,000 project, led by the ANU Family Friendly group, is the product of more than 12 months campaigning that emerged after ARC Future Fellow Dr Julie Smith's 2016 research survey revealed staff were expressing and feeding their babies in toilet areas on campus.
![Leader of the ANU Supporting Breastfeeding at ANU project Andrea Butler. Photo: Jamila Toderas Leader of the ANU Supporting Breastfeeding at ANU project Andrea Butler. Photo: Jamila Toderas](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/9cbbf48a-9c29-4e3d-9caf-308029378345/r0_0_2000_1333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Dr Smith has been a strong advocate for the university to regain its Australian Breastfeeding Association breastfeeding-friendly workplace status which lapsed in 2010.
Since Dr Smith's survey on the topic of breastfeeding facilities, the ANU Human Resources division completed an audit of parenting and breastfeeding facilities, and the institution just agreed to fund a new audit.
![Pro Vice Chancellor Richard Baker. Photo: Jamila Toderas Pro Vice Chancellor Richard Baker. Photo: Jamila Toderas](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/15c26b08-390a-4a62-bd12-c9b86d11238b/r0_0_2000_1333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
ANU pro vice-chancellor Professor Richard Baker said the university was proactive in the area but the series of audits were needed to make sure activities were co-ordinated and effective for everybody.
"There has always been things happening but it is a matter of making those more public and accessible,"
he said.
"As the audits have found out there are places doing things we didn't know about. Schools making good initiatives and then not telling the centre of the university these things are happening."
Professor Baker said the university had expanded the number of available childcare places, was planning for family friendly spaces in new renovations at Union Court and Hancock Library, and has looked over proposals for family-oriented developments such as playgrounds on campus.
![Mums working at the ANU and their bubs in a 2016 seminar about cultural and structural support for breastfeeding. Associate Professor Katerina Teaiwa of ANU, with her daughter Kiera Teaiwa Mortimer 8-months-old. Photo: Jamila Toderas Mums working at the ANU and their bubs in a 2016 seminar about cultural and structural support for breastfeeding. Associate Professor Katerina Teaiwa of ANU, with her daughter Kiera Teaiwa Mortimer 8-months-old. Photo: Jamila Toderas](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c45c9842-bfb7-4172-ae08-d7f827595cb2/r0_0_2000_1333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Beyond tangible equipment to support parents, ANU is undertaking a Science in Australia Gender Equality (SAGE) accreditation to promote gender equity and gender diversity in the culture of the institution.
Andrea Butler is one of six core people overseeing the latest audit.
She said the audit would be done in collaboration with the ABA and would build on work already undertaken, encompass a video audit to gauge how easy the campus' nine rooms were to find and use.
Ms Butler said there were "known gaps" that required attention but the audit was the "beginning of the journey".
The methodical approach would provide a clear pathway forward and evidence for the need for any investment in change facilities, fridges for milk storage or further provision of space for parents and babies.