Images of 37-year-old Victoria Donda Perez have gone viral since the MP was filmed breastfeeding her 8-month-old daughter during a parliamentary session at the Congressional Palace in Buenos Aires.
Perez who is a human rights activist and lawyer, was the youngest woman ever to become a member of Argentina’s National Congress in 2007. Since her appointment to the role she has also had to tolerate the rather unimaginative nickname of “Dipusex” (meaning sexy MP).
The image has divided the online community with as many people praising the mother’s actions, as condemning them. Perez has released no official statement as yet and there is no mention of the image on her Twitter account. She is clearly a hardworking member of parliament and uses her platform to engage with important issues like human trafficking and women’s rights.
Con @vikidonda esperando para ver Elena obra de teatro urgente sobre la trata pic.twitter.com/Yqros5xkxQ
— Laura G. Velasco (@laura_g_velasco) July 4, 2015
So on the whole breastfeeding at work thing….? Well, would you? Or perhaps more importantly could you?
I certainly commend her for doing it, seeing a woman in government whip out a tit while she sorts out big issues and shit of global relevance is a powerful message for her and the rest of their government to send. Nice work if you can get it, though. Most likely most of us don’t have jobs where one can breastfeed because, well, our babies aren’t at work with us. Because we’re working, at work. Right?
Images like this one, similar to those of Italian MEP Licia Ronzulli, are of major importance not only to change negative attitudes to breastfeeding but also to stir debate on the very real issues that working parents face. Our society’s current model of working is simply not working, and images like these beg the question; what needs to change for parents to feel like they are getting the most out of work and family life?
