Babies in… Parliament?
Posted October 1st, 2010 by Katie Bethell
Licia Ronzulli, a member of the European Union's Parliament from Italy, with her baby.
Licia Ronzulli, a member of the European Union’s Parliament from Italy, sat poised and focused in her parliamentary seat. Her right hand raised in a vote, her left hand turning a page on her desk, and wrapped around her body, a newborn baby asleep in a sling.
I’m a new mom too, and even though I work in a completely supportive environment, becoming a mom made me terrified for my career. For as many women as are now in the workplace, there are still relatively few successful models for new moms who want to keep their careers going. We hear about these supermoms, but they’re not usually represented in our media.
So when I saw this picture, I was moved to tears. It’s not because I think it’s so amazing that a woman could bring a baby to work (although that is pretty great), or because of a sudden hormonal surge that makes me tear up every time I see a baby. My tears are tears of relief — here, finally, is a picture that shows that a woman can be both professional and maternal at the same time.
Merging these identities – the professional me who likes the feel of a suit and a challenging debate and the maternal me who will spontaneously burst into song and dance about just about anything – is hard in a world that persistently devalues the endless work of mothering while hyping up the overwork we do in our careers.
Here, finally, is a real picture of a woman I can admire. I don’t know Mrs. Ronzulli’s politics or the intimate details of her own work/life balance. What I do know is that this image makes me feel proud and hopeful. Finally, here is a poised and confident woman who, by simultaneously occupying these dual roles, appears all the more so.
3 Comments
October 15, 2010 at 9:40 pm by NicoleI’m mixed about all of this. I was a medic in the army. I was working towards being accepted into the physician assistant program, but I had to make a decision of what was more important to me. Sure, I could have had children and remained in the military, but I didn’t see what the point was to having children and then being deployed for a year or more at a time while someone else took care of them. I wanted to be there for my children in every possible way. I could only remain in the military for so long, 20 years maybe a little longer, before being forced to retire. I had to make a decision about what I thought was more important to me. There’s no doubt about it; my children are far more rewarding to me than any possible career. There’s no price tag for watching them walk for the first time, for teaching them how to read, for braiding their hair, for Eskimo kisses, etc. What value can be placed on the time I spend with my children? It exceeds the collective wealth of the world. It’s something that I will reap in my grandchildren. When I die, I don’t want to be remembered as the lady who earned her doctorate or did it all. I want to be known as a beloved mother, wife, and friend. All the degrees, prestige, and financial wealth means jack in Heaven. The only thing I can take with me to Heaven is other people.
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October 2, 2010 at 4:42 am by madeinmelbourneThis makes me happy too, although I’m sad to say that here in Australia the same happy scene is unlikely to be celebrated any time soon. Recently a senator from the Australian Green’s party was berated in the senate chamber for allowing her two year old to enter parliament with her. Despite the fact that this was due to an unexpected, last minute need for her to re-enter the chamber. Her caregiver and her office staff were not on hand so she made the decision to let her daughter come in with her (which raises the question of what she was expected to do… leave a two-year-old in the hall?).
Below is a link to (supportive) article about the incident, but what was more shocking to me was the number of people who felt justified to publicly decry her actions. Not only that, it of course led to many people commenting that this just proved that women raising children couldn’t handle their parliamentary responsibilities, they shouldn’t expect to be ‘pandered to’ and other such ridiculous statements. Horrid.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/scared-childs-tears-a-blot-on-parliament/story-e6freuzr-1225737427099
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Anita Reply:
October 4th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
@madeinmelbourne- How awful. Thanks for sharing that story here. It’s frustrating to see this happening. We have to keep speaking up for moms everywhere.
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