Mothers & daughters: still left holding the baby
There is no doubt that the working world has changed beyond recognition over the last 30 years. But just how much has this change affected the day-to-day reality of women’s lives? Was the subject of maternity and paternity leave even an issue in the past? The contrast between a mother and her daughter’s experiences of the workplace provides a snapshot of the issue over the past few decades.
Kate Banham, 56, has worked for over 25 years in social care work. ‘I worked from 1967 to 1972 as a care worker, and gave up work for 12 years, while I had my 3 children,’ says Kate. ‘After such an extended break from work, I found it easy to pick up care work again, due to the nature of the job. I returned part-time, as my youngest daughter was still only 5 years old; this meant that I could fit nursery school around my hours,’ she adds.
Anne Banham, Kate’s 29-year-old daughter opted to return to work on a part-time basis, after the birth of her child. However, Anne has taken a drop in wages and put her career progression on hold. ‘I have less money, but feel that this system has worked out well. I watch colleagues struggle to return to work full-time, and they seem exhausted,’ she says. Anne admits that an increase in paternity leave would at least recognise the part men should play in childcare. ‘At present, I feel that the pressure is solely on me. My partner and I have had a child, but I am the one who has paid, in career terms,’ she says.
It is very significant that recent Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) research found that, flexible hours were what parents wanted most. Indeed, the trade and industry secretary, Stephen Byers, described the work-life balance as ‘one of the key issues facing us in a modern society’, and insisted that the system had to change. He emphasized that, ‘The labour market has changed dramatically over the last 25 years, and sticking with the status quo is not an option.’
Next page: women with children don’t work
1 | 2 | 3 | next
printer friendly
send to a friend
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
