An Australian politician has made headlines after breastfeeding in Parliament.
Larissa Waters made history in the federal Parliament when she proudly fed 11-week-old daughter Alia Joy in the chamber on Tuesday.
The Australian Greens deputy leader tweeted: “I am so proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the federal parliament! And we need more family-friendly and flexible workplaces, and affordable childcare, for everyone.”
So proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the federal Parliament! We need more #women & parents in Parli #auspol pic.twitter.com/w34nxWxG0y
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) 9 May 2017
Ms Waters helped extend breastfeeding rules in the Senate last year. Breastfeeding had already been allowed in the chamber, but Ms Waters’ work last year to extended the rules means that new mothers and fathers are able to care for infants while on the parliament floor.
Larissa isn't the first Australian politician to breastfeed in a government chamber, but considering the treatment of the last woman that did, she's shown just how far history has come.
Australian MP Kirstie Marshall was removed from the Victorian state Parliament in 2003 for breastfeeding her 11-day-old daughter Charlotte. The reason they gave her was pretty laughable but covered by Parliamentary rules. She was told: "You can't have a stranger in the House, and she hasn't been elected to parliament."
Waters made sure to pay tribute to Marshall's treatment, which received a less favourable reaction from the public 14 years ago. She posted a photo of Marshall, saying: "Look how far we have come!"
Here is Kirstie Marshall before she was ejected from the Vic Parliament for breastfeeding her 11-day old bub. Look how far we have come! pic.twitter.com/LrzZcIFBXq
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) 10 May 2017
Last October, an Icelandic politician breastfed her six-week-old newborn while addressing her colleagues at the Parliament podium. Iceland has a more liberal attitude to breastfeeding in public, but Independence Party member Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir was the first MP to feed her child in parliament.
'It is the most natural thing in the world,' she said at the time, describing being a mother as 'like any job, you've got to do what you've got to do'.
Not everyone agrees. DUP member Sammy Wilson was rightly criticised by colleagues last July when he said those female politicians that breastfeed in parliament are 'exhibitionists' and 'voyeuristic'.
Assembly Member Pam Cameron criticised his arcane comments by later tweeting that the 'party and I' realise the importance of breastfeeding.
For those asking, no I don't agree with Sammy's comments. Party & I recognise importance of breastfeeding. #i'll sort him
— Pam Cameron (@PamCameronMLA) 22 July 2016
We can honestly say we hope to see the day where a woman feeding her baby doesn't make headlines, and a woman can feed her child confidently. In the meantime, go Larissa!
