Nobody hates women like other women
It’s the topic of stay-at-home mums. More specifically, the release of any data or analysis that dares recommend Australian women should get out of the living room/kitchen/nursery and back into the workforce.
So the outcry has been predictable in the wake of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recent report which had the audacity to suggest stay-at-home mums would be better off putting their skills to use in paid employment.
“One of the areas of greatest untapped potential in the Australian labour force is inactive and/or part-time working women, especially those with children,’’ concluded the landmark study. “There are potentially large losses to the economy when women stay at home or work short part-time hours.’’
Right on cue, hysteria ensued, with commentators from coast to coast howling in indignation at the very idea that the uppity OECD would insinuate Australia might have a tiny bit of a problem with our female workforce participation rates.
For days you couldn’t walk past a television, radio or computer screen without encountering a defensive rant about how the most valuable work a woman can do involves nappies, play-doh, and a strict adherence to only leaving the family home during the hours of 9am to 5pm to attend playgroup or a similar non-work sanctioned activity.
And then we wonder why Australia continues to languish in the bottom third of OECD member states when it comes to female employment. It’s no mystery; our collective support for working women makes Donald Trump’s cabinet look like Women’s March HQ by comparison.
First, a few facts. Anyone who has a child — and this goes for both mothers and fathers — knows that everything else in life becomes a distant second to that child’s welfare, happiness and wellbeing. So this is not a discussion about the importance of parenting — that is beyond dispute.
And yes, the role played by parents in the early months and years following the birth of a child is vital and irreplaceable. It also stands to reason that for many (but certainly not all) families, it is the mother who opts to take time off work during this period to solely focus on caring for her baby.
Once again, there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, that time at home should be a privilege afforded to more new mums, which is why a few years back I was a lone voice in supporting Tony Abbott’s grossly misunderstood and thus ill-fated paid parental leave scheme, which proposed all female employees receive their normal salary for six months.
So it’s not as simple as suggesting that the OECD’s rallying call to utilise the potential of stay-at-home mums is an insult to mothers — on the contrary, it is the desperately needed voice of reason that Australians cannot afford to ignore.
Rather than wail about the supposed liberation in a woman’s right to choose to shun paid employment,we should make it a legal requirement that all parents of children of school-age or older are gainfully employed.
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Ban Stay At Home Mums
I take it Oz suffers from overemployment or something which is why columnists like this person want to mandate that stay-at-home mothers "get a job"?
This comment from 'Trevor' had me laughing:
In reply to djdrastic
Not sure what side of the issue you are on...
Quite frankly the media have created feelings of inadequacy in stay home moms very much the same way breastfeeding was snobbed...
In reply to DAVE400
I'm on the side that women have a choice in life.
Not to be forced to work due to some government mandate.
If they want to work to provide additional income or love their line of work and are OK with sending kids to daycare and possibly hiring a nanny/maid.Great !
If they want to to stay at home and look after the kids.Great !
Modern feminism is incredibly ugly,and I loathe how they demonize housewives for making their decision to stay at home if hubby is able to look after the finances alone.
In reply to djdrastic
Yup...well said...
I strongly believe a lot of lonely spinsters and bitter divorcées spread this crap out of envy...
Staying at home should be an individual choice, based on the family's needs.
In reply to black
Which individual? The husband or the wife? What about men who made the single-minded decision to have their well educated and highly employable wife stay home because she too pretty and he jealous of other men making approaches? Although the family can do with the extra coin.....
In reply to Kay
We are talking about women.
If an educated women is willing to let her husband or society talk her into staying at home, to bad.
Anyhow, it's still a family decision.
In reply to Kay
How does a well educated woman allow such a decision?
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