The Greens Lead The Way With Flexible Work Environment for Breastfeeding Mums
If workplaces are looking for inspiration on how to help mums back into the workforce, the Greens are leading the way on how to do it.
Greens senator, Larissa Waters, made headlines this week because she breastfed her daughter, Alia Joy, while putting forward a motion in parliament.
The co-leader of Australia’s Greens party hasn’t been shy of bringing her daughter to work. In May, she was the first person to breastfeed in Australia’s Federal Parliament.
The senator told BuzzFeed she breastfed her daughter while moving a motion in parliament because, “black lung disease is back among coal miners in Queensland and Alia was hungry.”
After her speech, Waters tweeted, “First time I’ve had to move a Senate motion while breastfeeding! And my partner in crime moved her own motion just before mine, bless her.”
Greens Senator Larissa Waters putting forward a motion on Black Lung while breastfeeding in the Senate #auspol pic.twitter.com/k7RgBy4yqp
— Lukas Coch (@cochl) June 22, 2017
Last year, the Greens have urged the Senate to change its rules on breastfeeding and bringing babies into Parliament.
More pictures from Parliament showed Walters boss, Leader of the Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale, pick Alia up while her mother smiled in the background. It’s the kind of boss and work environment most working mums would be envious of.
I think this is what ppl mean when they talk abt a flexible boss. @RichardDiNatale with @larissawaters new staffer. @ellinghausen pic. pic.twitter.com/e5mrMT5p1p
— Stephanie Peatling (@srpeatling) June 22, 2017
Waters often shares photos of her daughter on the job and shares the importance of helping all Australian parents manage work and family life.
When it comes to breastfeeding, the senator is very matter-of-fact about the need for mums to feed their babies when needed.
“Women have always worked and reared children, whether that work was paid in the workplace or unpaid in the home,” she said. “I hope [this] helps to normalize breastfeeding and remove any vestige of stigma against breastfeeding a baby when they are hungry.”
