New South Wales Parliament Replaces 'Mother' and 'Woman' With Gender-Neutral Terms in Breastfeeding Policy

The New South Wales Parliament has updated its breastfeeding policy, removing the words 'mother' and 'woman' in favor of gender-neutral language. The revised policy now uses terms such as 'parents,' 'carers,' and 'lactating parents' to support breastfeeding staff and recognize the importance of breastfeeding for both parent and child.

This change has drawn criticism from some political figures. NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane publicly denounced the policy update, stating in a social media video that "only women breastfeed babies." Sloane expressed support for assisting new parents in childcare at work but questioned the necessity of gender-neutral terminology for a policy specifically addressing breastfeeding.

"I want a workplace where the blokes can feel free to look after their babies. I want them to be able to share the care," Sloane said. "But the thing they can't do is breastfeed. So why are we messing around with language? Why are we trying to rob females of something that is really special and unique for us?"

Sloane further commented that when governments "get the language wrong" and attempt to "neutralize everything," they do a disservice to the public and risk making themselves appear absurd. The updated policy aims to create a family-friendly workplace environment for parliamentary employees.