You may have seen her pass by. In a photo that has gone viral, François Hollande appears at the Aligre market, smiling, alongside a young mother brandishing a sign: “I’m hungry, I’m eating!”. An inscription that calls out. Published on Instagram by Bordeaux photographer Ana Kï, founder of the movement of the same name, the image quickly circulated on social networks. The former president was not on a political campaign, but came to lend a hand to another cause: that of the right of mothers to feed their children, wherever they are and without judgment.
A movement born from a maternal and militant impulse
Created in 2021 in Bordeaux, the “I’m hungry, I eat!” movement. was born from a shock: the attack on a breastfeeding mother in a public space. In response, Ana Kï, a photographer specializing in maternity, decided to organize a major photographic event where all families were invited to feed their child — from the breast, from a bottle, from a breast pump or from a spoon — in the street, to make this gesture visible and normal.
The idea took root. Each year, more than 80 cities in France and Europe participate in this caring and unifying event, which takes place at the end of September. Volunteer photographers immortalize this collective moment, a true celebration of parenthood. The motto is simple: “feed your child, where you want, when you want, and above all, however you can.
Unexpected support
Seeing a former head of state pose for such a cause made an impression. “We thought we had seen it all. Then François Hollande arrived, basket under his arm, at the Aligre market“, says the publication of Ana Kï. In a few seconds, the scene becomes emblematic: that of a former president ready to support mothers, in a country where breastfeeding in public is still debated.
Breastfeeding on demand means meeting the child’s needs
Beyond the symbol, the movement recalls an essential truth: a baby must be fed on demand, that is to say when he expresses his hunger, without time constraints. This method of breastfeeding promotes attachment, regulates milk production and respects the child’s natural rhythm.
Contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding on demand does not condemn mothers to isolation: you can go out, read, phone, take a walk, even have a coffee with friends while feeding your child. Because breastfeeding is about living, not hiding.
Breastfeeding in public spaces: a still fragile right
Although no law prohibits breastfeeding in public, the subject remains a source of controversy. French society still struggles to dissociate the female breast from its eroticized load, making this natural gesture sometimes poorly perceived.
As psychologist Johanna Rozenblum recalled in a previous article, “Breastfeeding is still, for some, something of an intimate nature, even sexualized. So the woman has to hide the fact that she feeds her child, because society, where men are not able to see something primal, a mother who simply feeds her child.”
However, article 222-32 of the Penal Code, which defines sexual exhibition, does not apply in any case to breastfeeding, which is neither a sexual act nor a provocation. Several legislative proposals have already attempted to create an “offense of obstructing breastfeeding” to protect mothers who are victims of attacks or humiliation in public spaces, without success so far.
I’m hungry, I eat, to make it all “normal”
“I’m hungry, I’m eating!” is not a pro-breastfeeding movement, but pro-choice: whether it is breast feeding, bottle feeding or compote, every parent deserves respect and support. By giving a human, joyful and committed face to this cause, François Hollande’s photo reminds us of the obvious: feeding a child is never a militant act, but an act of love.