'Times are changing': B.C. minister addresses online criticism over bringing baby to legislature
CTV
When Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, posted a photo of her three-month-old daughter Azalea in a makeshift nursery in her legislature office, most people were supportive of her decision to bring her baby to work.
When Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, posted a photo of her three-month-old daughter Azalea in a makeshift nursery in her legislature office, most people were supportive of her decision to bring her baby to work.
But she got her share of hate, including several online comments saying she should stay home and be a mother, or that babies have no place in the legislature.
When she posted a photo of her breastfeeding Azalea under a blanket in a cabinet event, Ma got even more criticism.
“The vast majority of people have been supportive, but of course there are still some, I guess, less supportive attitudes out there,” said Ma, who clapped back at the online comments, defending her decision to return to the legislature with Azalea in tow and feed her when she’s hungry.
“I have the support of colleagues who recognize the value of making the legislature accessible to women, including mothers with young children, and I have a community who recognizes the value of having my voice in the legislature,” said Ma.
Former premier Christy Clark, who was the first cabinet minister to bring her baby to the legislature in 2001, can relate to the backlash. “So I got a lot of that, too. A lot of people who would say, ‘Look, you should be home looking after your child.’ It happened all the time,” said Clark, who returned to work only four weeks after having her son Hamish.
Since then, social media has given people a new, anonymous way to level criticism.
