Sis, I will stop banging on about this, but heard a really interesting bit on Womans Hour (can listen to just this item here also) on Radio 4 today about equality of men and women in the workplace - namly parental leave.
Apparently from 2011, fathers will have the right of up to 6 months paternity leave assuming that the female partner has gone back to work. Essentially meaning that the statutory years parental leave could be shared between both partners.
I found this enthralling because following on from my point yesterday about 'women not yet gaining real equality yet, but could they ever ? etc ', a guy called Richard Reeves from a think tank Demos said that there was a real asymmetry between men and women in the work place and there is a risk premium associated with women (since they can have babies and have rights to long periods away from work with their jobs held open - therefore costing business), making it hard for women to compete with men.
He said "what we need is real equality in the division of labour and caring for children and then we might just get close to equality in the workplace."
He put it so simply - only when this happens and there is real choice might women start being equal in the work place. Fascinating.
Is this something you think about ? I am older than you and acutely aware at my age I am one of these 'risky women' - you however perhaps are not aware of this thread in the media yet ? Or are you ?
Food for thought ?
Love you sis xxxxxxxx
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