Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that bringing her seven-year-old daughter on an official trip to China could set a positive example, potentially enhancing the rights of working mothers. In a conversation with lifestyle magazine Chi, she mentioned that there was significant discussion in Italy after photos emerged of her and her daughter Ginevra disembarking the plane in Beijing, where they were welcomed by Chinese officials at the beginning of the visit. Critics on social media questioned the wisdom of exposing her daughter to the public eye during such a prominent journey, but Meloni argued that the only alternative would have been to leave Ginevra in Italy for nearly a week. Meloni, who separated from Ginevra's father last year, emphasized that every mother must decide what is best for their child. "But this goes beyond personal choices; it's a cultural issue that impacts all women," she noted in early excerpts from the interview. "I believe that if I, as prime minister, can demonstrate that my position is compatible with being a mother, then there will be no more reasons for those who use motherhood as a pretext not to support women's advancement in the workplace," she continued. Meloni's ascent to prime minister two years ago broke new ground for Italian women in politics, although she is not widely recognized as a feminist. Previously, she has resisted the idea of quotas for women in boardrooms and parliament, advocating instead for women's progress based on merit.