The joys of Womanhood

This week we have see a lot of discussion about the new Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer who is, heaven forbid, pregnant! We have heard about her having 2 weeks maternity leave and conducting meetings during this time. It makes me surprised that it seems to be other Women questioning her decisions. I am absolutely positive if everything goes well with the rest of her pregnancy and the birth she will accomplish her objective. This may not be everyone’s choice for Motherhood but it’s hers and she should be respected for it! I am sure considering her no doubt hefty salary she will have plenty of domestic and baby help to make this possible; isn’t this what woman have been fighting for? We have the right to make decisions about our futures, our family and our bodies now but it was not always like this. 

When my children were at school there was another mother who was a Barrister; she had 5 children, nannies and domestic staff and due to this coped very nicely with her career and children. She was the one that spent every moment when she wasn’t working with her family, attended every school function and baked (very well I may add) with her girls on weekends. She made a point of eating dinner with the family every night and would work after they went to bed if it was needed. She ferried them around to various sporting functions and birthday parties. Her children were happy and well adjusted achievers who knew exactly who their mother was. Their Father had an equally demanding position. 

When I started work my Father decided that I should go into finance (Fathers then had the right of veto) so he got me a position working in Bank (Fathers could also do that back then). When I started there was a clear division of positions ‘suitable’ for woman as women always seemed to leave when they started a family and resumed when their youngest child started school; usually part time. Home Loans were unavailable for single women and when a loan was granted to a married couple only a small proportion of the wife’s wage was considered. I had a friend back then who could not have children and had to produce medical proof of this before the bank would consider her wage at all (she was married at the time). Woman’s wages were totally different to Men’s even if they were doing the same job; this is what it was like when I started work, I’m 53. 

Make up your minds ladies. Do we want to be able to make our own choices in life or would we like to go back to having them made for us?

I left the financial institution (because I hated it) and went into the building industry which is exactly what my Father was trying to stop – five generation building family, it’s in my blood! I am only sorry that I didn’t have the choices that are now available to Women in my industry. We can be Tradies, Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, the list is endless now and that makes me so happy that the wall has been deconstructed!

I’m all for the women who want (and can afford) to stay home with their families but it is all about choice – something we fought so hard to get.

'Liberty or Death' - Women in History fought hard for rights !