Licia Ronzulli is representing mothers in the work force and I love her for it

Many of us like to think a Bring your Child to Work Day would be the perfect way to balance out our working and family life (although some might relish the time outside of the home – it is definitely a lot less stressful!)

 

But at the European Parliament, every day is a Bring your Child to Work Day, thanks to MEP Licia Ronzulli.

 

When the Italian MEP brought her six-week-old daughter, Vittoria Cerioli, to work in 2010, there was a huge media stir. Coincidently, at the time Licia was voting on proposals to improve women’s employment rights. But that’s not why she brought little Vittoria there. The reason Licia started to bring her daughter to work was simple: she was breastfeeding.

 

Ever since then, little Vittoria has been photographed sitting on her mum’s knee while she votes on pretty important topics, it has to be said.  

 

Little Victoria is now so used to the happenings in Strasbourg that she has been known to take part in the voting...

 

 

And while it’s fantastic to see the mum-of-one being able to undertake both roles successfully, this is definitely not the case for every mother. For some, the cost of childcare forces them out of work as it is not always financially viable to go back after having a baby. For the rest, we clock up annual leave for school appointments or for when our little ones get sick - so it’s refreshing to see Licia doing something different. In fact, the politician is showing the world that she is both a mother and an MEP and that she can do both roles pretty well.

 

And while not all of us actually want to bring our kiddies to work – I’m sure I’d enjoy it for the first day or two - isn’t it amazing that Licia has the choice.  

 

A true representative of women’s power, Licia is a member of the People of Freedom Party and the environment, health and food safety in Strasbourg,. She also worked as a nurse in Milan and Bangladesh and became a hospital director before turning her hand to politics – she is definitely some woman for one woman and her daughter has a pretty awesome role model to look up to.

 

Mary Byrne is a staff writer at MummyPages and mum to a horse-crazy, sports-mad, seven-year-old girl.