Australian Woman Who Breastfed Baby While Addressing Parliament Has Got People Talking

Larissa Waters, a senator made headlines recently when she breastfed her baby named Alia Joy, while addressing the Australian parliament.

It will be the first time ever such will happen in Australia. And now, Larissa, who is a Greens Party member from Queensland, Australia, is probably the most popular woman in the country right now.

Many recount how she stood to address the chamber, with her 14-week-old daughter,  latched onto her breast, while she spoke about black lung disease, a condition affecting coal miners.

The senator said she hopes her decision sends a message to other young women that they too belong in places of power, including parliament.

“Women have always worked and reared children, whether that work was paid in the workplace or unpaid in the home. I hope [this] helps to normalise breastfeeding and remove any vestige of stigma against breastfeeding a baby when they are hungry. The fact that it is news that a young woman can breastfeed in parliament, goes to show how far we have to go in making our parliament look like our community. It’s been 116 years in the coming, and it’s tragic that it’s taken that long.”

Larrisa took to her twitter page to acknowledge what she did at the parliament tweeting a picture of herself breastfeeding her baby:

“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.”

There was, however, someone who did not agree with her and the person sent her a message which Larissa shared on her Twitter timeline.

“Not a good look you may think it’s clever but trust me Waters will be remembered in Politics as the dumb Bitch with the big tits with and ego that was 5 feet in front of her brains all the best next time round she is a goner but she is already aware off that hence the exhibition Regards (sic)”

In 2009, Sarah Hanson-Young, a Greens MP, was forced to remove her two-year-old child from the chamber and afterwards, the toddler was heard crying just outside the chamber doors. Then in 2015, Kelly O’Dwyer, a Liberal MP and cabinet minister, was told by the government to express more milk to ensure she did not miss votes in Parliament.

However, parliament changed its rules last year to allow mothers breastfeed in the chambers.

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed