UK top businesswoman attacks women's rights

[Module]

I'm only making this same thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/uk-top-businesswoman-t119898/index.html) here because I read it and wanted to reply but of course I can't, so here it is:

In reference to the thread in this post's title:
Actually, I agree with a lot of what she is saying. Excessive maternity leave does have the potential to backfire on women. If this were a perfect world then sure, we could say women should get a zillion months maternity leave, but it isn't, and this could make employers avoid hiring or promoting women out of fear they'll get pregnant. There was some story in the news in Australia about real estate agents having a policy of avoiding hiring women of 'child bearing age'.
Seriously, women don't need more maternity leave, and I hardly think that in the vast majority of cases they're going to need a year off.

What would be genuinely good for 'women's rights' is making sure that after they have a child they aren't stuck with the sole responsibility of looking after the child, and that this work is shared equally between parents. Isn't that much obvious? It is the fact that women still do the vast majority of domestic labour and parenting that is the true issue of gender equality, as well as a lack of confidence and ambition, and of course plain old prejudice. The government can't just keep extending maternity leave and think that's them 'dealing' with "women's rights". If anything, I'd say that's a really patronising approach that is avoiding the real, overriding problems of sexism that still exist.

!!

[Havet]

I spoke of that exact news here (http://www.revleft.com/vb/uk-down-drain-t118766/index.html).

My commentary was:


Also a bunch of new bullshit regulation forcing employers to keep paying workers even when they decide to stop working to bring up kids for up to 1 year, which will effectively crush any small business that exists, creating more monopoly businesses.

Of course what this will really do is incentivise employers not to hire women, something the state-socialists/capitalists would never admit to, as they have laws to prevent such "discrimination", never the less it will happen.

...


Seriously, its fairly obvious that no matter what legislation or anti-discrimination law is in place, it will still happen.

The problem is most people don't realize that in an ACTUALLY free market (probably through unions or simple worker demand and competition), mothers and women wouldn't be subject to this kind of discrimination.

Then again, it's better to blame "free markets" just because its what capitalists call the current mixed economies. Talk about fashion victims :lol:

[Skooma Addict]

Seriously, women don't need more maternity leave, and I hardly think that in the vast majority of cases they're going to need a year off.

Businesses shouldn't have to give women any maternity leave if they don't want to. They should be able to fire the woman whenever they want, for whatever reason they want to. Same goes with men.


What would be genuinely good for 'women's rights' is making sure that after they have a child they aren't stuck with the sole responsibility of looking after the child, and that this work is shared equally between parents. Isn't that much obvious?

No.


It is the fact that women still do the vast majority of domestic labour and parenting that is the true issue of gender equality, as well as a lack of confidence and ambition, and of course plain old prejudice. The government can't just keep extending maternity leave and think that's them 'dealing' with "women's rights". If anything, I'd say that's a really patronising approach that is avoiding the real, overriding problems of sexism that still exist.

Are you surprised that women still do the majority of domestic labor and parenting? Is there a problem with this?

[Dr Mindbender]

I'm only making this same thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/uk-top-businesswoman-t119898/index.html) here because I read it and wanted to reply but of course I can't, so here it is:

In reference to the thread in this post's title:
Actually, I agree with a lot of what she is saying. Excessive maternity leave does have the potential to backfire on women. If this were a perfect world then sure, we could say women should get a zillion months maternity leave, but it isn't, and this could make employers avoid hiring or promoting women out of fear they'll get pregnant. There was some story in the news in Australia about real estate agents having a policy of avoiding hiring women of 'child bearing age'.
Seriously, women don't need more maternity leave, and I hardly think that in the vast majority of cases they're going to need a year off.

What would be genuinely good for 'women's rights' is making sure that after they have a child they aren't stuck with the sole responsibility of looking after the child, and that this work is shared equally between parents. Isn't that much obvious? It is the fact that women still do the vast majority of domestic labour and parenting that is the true issue of gender equality, as well as a lack of confidence and ambition, and of course plain old prejudice. The government can't just keep extending maternity leave and think that's them 'dealing' with "women's rights". If anything, I'd say that's a really patronising approach that is avoiding the real, overriding problems of sexism that still exist.

!!

Yes, but the author of that soundbite probably has a seven figure salary and doesnt have to worry about trivial things like ooh i dont know... ...how shes going to make ends meet or making sure her kids arent disadvantaged in life. Its all very well for her to lecture and moralise on how its unprogressive for women from her 10 bedroom mansion with en suite baby sitting meanwhile back in planet reality working women are trying to beat off the landlord or mortgage broker.

Id like to see her spend some time living off minimum wage, perhaps then she will change her song. Besides which, if paternity leave was brought up to the same length (which it should be anyway imo) we wouldnt be having this debate.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

The replacement of maternity leave with parental leave would largely solve this problem IMO. It would allow parents time to care for their children but not place women at a competitive disadvantage.