Iceland's presidential candidate- could this happen in the UK?.

[Aboutlastnight]

m.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/23/iceland-europe-news?cat=world&type=article

Quotes:
"I'm not saying it's easy, but the key thing is that because a woman is of child-bearing age or has children, they should not be automatically excluded from top posts. That doesn't make sense. No one suggests men who are fathers shouldn't hold positions of power.
"He [Halldórsson] gets kind of offended, this is his sixth child, [he has three daughters from a previous relationship]. He's really good at this, he's 42 and if he chooses to stay at home with his children, which is after all a privilege, then he should be able to make that choice.
"Gender equality is not just about women's rights. It's also about men's choices, without the view that he has sacrificed his life or career or is somehow feminine or less of a man," she said."

Hurrah!
But do you think ths could happen in the UK? Would a new mother be considered electable?

[catgirl1976]

Yes - I don't see there would be an issue

[Aboutlastnight]

Then why aren't there more women in parliament- the cabinet is all make, isn't it.

[catgirl1976]

No it isnt.

[Aboutlastnight]

www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/parliament-explained/women-in-politics/

Ah yes there are a few. It just struck me when reading the article about Iceland that running the country and having a baby would not seem to be a possibility. Maybe it's just me and everyone else takes this for granted...

[catgirl1976]

I think it would be an issue in terms of it would be a "news angle" (given the uk press is reporting the icelandic case from this angle that seems certain) and there would be some debate about working mothers etc

But I don't think it (having a baby) would stop a strong candidate getting elected

[catgirl1976]

Oh - and there would no doubt be some annoying portayal of her as "superwoman" and the suggestion she was the first woman ever to have a career and a child.

[ChunkyPickle]

We've had Prime Ministers have babies whilst in power, we've had a woman Prime Minister with children - I'm sure there would be digs (as there have been about sleepless nights when male Prime Minister's wives have children) but I don't see that being of child bearing age would be a problem, or that if a woman became pregnant during her term that it would be to much of an issue (bar the obvious logistical issues)

[DilysPrice]

I think it would be very difficult to be PM (or foreign secretary) while pg, purely because you can't fly for a couple of months. But I guess at least you can plan for that.
People do get randomly incapacitated in the real world and we have to live with that - the Greek PM can't make the next EU summit due to surgery.

[Aboutlastnight]

The Icelandic candidate is saying that she has had more criticism from younger people than from older women who are very much of the opinion that they are voting for the candidate, not her children.

I really, really hope to see another working mother as PM in my lifetime (but perhaps not in Thstcher's incarnation