B.C. MLA fires back at sexist post about working mothers
Posted February 20, 2024 10:02 am.
A B.C. cabinet minister is pushing back against outdated and sexist thinking, after someone on social media made a comment about her new baby.
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma took to X on Monday to share an image of the set up in her legislature office for her child.
“She’s here! She’s here! Baby Azalea has arrived at the BC Legislature,” she wrote.
While her post garnered hundreds of “likes” and many supportive messages, one in particular caught the North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA’s attention.
The X user told Ma to “stay home [and] be a mother” and went on to say “this is not needed now or ever in the legislature.”
Ma responded sarcastically, saying, “A woman’s place is barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, amirite?”
The post also drew criticism from other social media users, who came to Ma’s support.
“She absolutely should be at the Legislature. Bowinn is an effective MLA & Minister. The Legislature was dominated largely by old white men, like me, and old white women. An accomplished young woman of colour & mother, is exactly who should be helping make decisions about BC,” said retired MLA and cabinet minister Shane Simpson.
Another questioned why Ma should have to stay home, noting “lots of people have mothers with jobs.”
Others pointed out it’s not the 1950s.
Ma welcomed her baby in November of last year.
