India’s Youngest Mayor Brings 1-Month-Old Baby To Work, Sparks Debate

Thiruvananthapuram: Arya Rajendran became the youngest mayor in the country when she assumed charge at the age of 21 in December 2020.

Nearly three years later, Arya, now a mother, is back in the news.

A picture of Arya has recently gone viral on social media, showing the mayor going through files in her office holding her one-month-old baby.

Arya married Sachin Dev – youngest MLA in the current Kerala Assembly – in September 2022, and the couple was blessed with a baby girl on August 10 this year.

The mayor resumed work last week, just a month after giving birth to her child.

The image has sparked off a debate on social media and other circles. Some have praised Arya as an example of a woman who knows how to manage her professional and personal responsibilities, while some felt that she has shown that motherhood doesn’t come in the way of a woman’s career ambitions.

But many have raised the question of gender equality in our society.

Why do women, regardless of being well educated, having a successful career and being self-sufficient, continue to be the primary caretakers of their children, they are asking.

Why is it assumed that women are ‘superhumans’ who can do everything?

Arya should be at home taking care of herself and the newborn baby for at least six months, many have pointed out.

The image has also triggered important discussions such as need for childcare facilities, including creche centres, within workplaces.