Australian Senator Larissa Waters becomes first woman to breastfeed in Parliament
Australian Senator Larissa Waters returned to Parliament with her newborn daughter after a 10-week-long maternity leave ready to make history.
The Queensland politician followed through on her promise Tuesday to feed her daughter, Alia Joy, whenever, wherever -- even if it meant doing so in the Senate chamber.
"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," Waters tweeted on Tuesday.
The tweet was shared more than 680 times and received hundreds of replies from users praising the new mom for taking a stand.
"Parliament making womanhood 'normal' and setting the bar for all employers when it comes to accepting women as equals in the workplace," one Twitter user replied.
"This is great .. when's she's older she'll be asked why it wasn't the norm back then," another commented.
The senator announced the birth of her now-2-month-old daughter on March 7, the day before International Women's Day, hinting at the possibility that she would breastfeed in Parliament upon her return.
"I'll be having a few more weeks off but will soon be back in parliament with this little one in tow," Waters wrote in a Facebook post. "She is even more inspiration for continuing our work to address gender inequality and stem dangerous climate change. (And yes, if she's hungry, she will be breastfed in the Senate chamber)."
Parliamentary rules were changed last year to create a more "family friendly" environment.
Under previous parliamentary rules, children were technically banned in the chamber, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Breastfeeding mothers were given a proxy vote.
"No member, male or female, will ever be prevented from participating fully in the operation of the Parliament by reason of having the care of a baby," Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said last February.
Waters supported the changes and hopes more women will follow her lead.
"We need more women and parents in Parliament," she wrote on Facebook. "And we need more family-friendly and flexible workplaces, and affordable childcare, for everyone."
