Elsa Gomes, a former adviser to the Minister of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security, now serving as the deputy director of the National Center for Pensions at the Institute of Social Security, asserted that the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People (CPCJ) should intervene in cases of mothers breastfeeding beyond two years. This statement was in response to a comment on the controversial labor law reform proposal submitted by the government.
“No normal woman breastfeeds a child after the age of 2. Anyone who says otherwise cannot be a good mother! CPCJ intervention should be demanded… Frauds must be fought without any fear,” the former adviser to Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho remarked on a LinkedIn post by Nuno Bernardo, Secretary-General of the Portuguese Tourism Confederation.
The responses to these statements were swift, with numerous healthcare professionals criticizing the lack of information behind such claims.
Andreia Guerreiro, a doula and IBCLC breastfeeding specialist, responded on social media. She posted several stories about the issue, encouraging women not to fear breastfeeding their children, dismissing Elsa Gomes’s remarks as a “silly and ignorant bluff.” She also urged families to report any breaches of breastfeeding leave or flexible schedules by emailing an****@***il.com.
A group of mothers even created a video mocking Elsa Gomes’s words.
Politically, there have been limited responses. However, Inês Sousa Real, leader of the People-Animals-Nature (PAN) party, commented on the matter on social media.
“It’s too outrageous to seem real. It takes a complete lack of awareness to believe that a child being breastfed beyond 2 years requires CPCJ intervention because they have a caring mother! Where is the fight against child abuse and neglect?! That’s what truly matters,” the deputy wrote on social network X.
É demasiado mau para parecer verdade. É preciso ter mesmo muita falta de noção para achar que uma criança que é amamentada depois dos 2 anos precisa de intervenção da CPCJ, por ter uma mãe que cuida! Onde está o combate aos maus tratos e abuso infantil?! Isso é que era de valor. pic.twitter.com/4lVQsGbQm3
— Inês Sousa Real (@InesSousaReal) August 11, 2025
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