Italian lawmaker who fought to allow nursing one’s baby during working session is now first to do so

ROME (AP) — An Italian lawmaker who fought for a rule so that women can be allowed to nurse their babies during a parliamentary session has now become the first woman to do just that. Bipartisan applause broke out on Wednesday when Gilda Sportiello nursed her 2-month-old son during a legislative vote in the lower Chamber of Deputies. Sportiello in the previous legislature had successfully advocated for a rule passed by the chamber’s rule committee to allow women to participate in voting and debate while nursing their children until they are 12 months old. She and baby Federico’s father are both lawmakers from the populist 5-Star Movement. She said she hopes her pioneering act will inspire all workplaces in Italy to make it easier for working mothers.