The Provincial Assembly of Balochistan has sought to undo the damage since its speaker did not allow a woman member to bring her infant child to the house. The assembly complex is going to have a daycare centre on the premises. The issue hit the headlines when during the last session of the assembly, Balochistan Awami Party’s Mahjabeen Shireen brought her child to the house. She was soon told to leave the house for being accompanied by a ‘stranger’. The speaker ruled that it was illegal for children to be brought to the session. Ms Shireen said, mindful of the decorum, she had visited the assembly secretariat and asked for a place where her unwell child could be kept while she attended the proceedings. She said she was told that all the rooms were reserved for ministers and could not be turned into daycare centre. When she was told to leave, no colleague extended her support. Women politicians are known to have brought their children to sessions of parliament in some democracies. In fact, they have been lauded for bringing their babies into parliament chambers, rather than missing important proceedings. Heavens did not fall when in 2017 Australian member of parliament Larissa Waters brought her two-month-old daughter to the session and also breastfed her too. She was praised for compromising neither her child’s need nor her duty as a legislator. Earlier, Spanish MP Carolina Benscansa had also breastfed her son in the parliament last year. In October 2016, Icelandic parliamentary member Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir stood in the house breastfeeding her child and spoke on public policy. For her part, Ms Shireen successfully ran a campaign for amending the rules and allowing infants on the premises. Daycare centres are now to be established at the Provincial Assembly building as well as other government offices. Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has now ordered the opening of a daycare centre on the assembly premises. The chief minister should also order similar facilities at other government offices where women work or visit. Family-friendly premises will help women focus more on work. They will also be a good example for other provinces to follow. *