to think that anything other than total gender equality in the parental leave system is an absolute outrage?

[joanneg20]

Well, am I?

Now that all the political parties are packaging themselves as 'progressive', have to be seen to be shaking hands with black and/or gay people on their leaflets, why is no-one willing to tackle this properly?

Surely any system other than a set period of parental leave to be shared as the two partners see fit is massively sexist and discriminatory and how Labour can be promising 'a future fair for all' whilst refusing to commit to this baffles me.

Imagine a similar discriminatory system applied in any other way. Different holiday entitlements for gay and straight people? Different working hours for Asians and non-Asians? I don't think so. But parental leave is obviously a different matter - why? Why does anyone assume that because I was born female I wish to 'enjoy' (to use the terminology of the Labour manifesto) 9 months' maternity leave, and that my partner only wants 4 weeks - or possibly the ability to share the period after 6 months (which hardly anyone takes anyway).

Why aren't we all out on the street about this? And I include myself in that question. I think it really is the major feminist issue remaining to be tackled in Britain - almost on a par with getting the vote in terms of what it could do for gender equality.

It is against the law in this country for a woman to return within a month of childbirth.

Although I agree with the concept of what OP is saying I would be curious to see how many women actually would want to share the maternity leave. IME of myself and my friends they all wanted to take the full mat leave.

Apart from to bf I never got up in the night for either kids - dh always did this.
Dh also did jabs, first days at nurseries, schools etc. Dh has always done school plays, sports days etc.
I have never done a first day and never gone to a school play or sports day of the like.

how sad - that you don't share

"It is against the law in this country for a woman to return within a month of childbirth."

2 weeks isn't it?

MintHumbug - Quite right, well said

I thought it was two weeks as well - maybe a month if the woman works in a factory?

yes it is 4 if you work in a factory

Oh FGS.
We live in a world where every creed and colur is treated differently but you suddenly want men and women to be treated the same??

They're not the bloody same, that's the whole point.
I also think extended paternity leave to 4 weeks is fucking ridiculous.Who is going to pay for this and why is it necessary?

Some wet 'bonding' experience no doubt.
Pah! Go out and work like a man and provide for your family.

There should be 12 months parental leave. This should be split between the parents in whatever way suits them.

moondog, so racism and religious discrimination means we can't go for sex equality either? sorry, i don't accept that

no i'm not the same as anyone else but i want to be treated the same, nor do i want my dh to be told he's not a man because he earns less than me

It's not about being treated the same it's about equality of opportunity. Women of childbearing age are discriminated against in the job market by employers. This is both illegal and completely understandable, as it IS a cost to their business.

If men were just as likely to take parental leave then this discrimination would disappear.

So equalise the entitlements and allow 10 to 20 years for peoples behavior to change and you might see more equality in the job market.

Minthumbug - this pressure would result in greater equality though.

moondog - who will pay for it? Everyone. It is a societal cost. As a society we have decided that children are a good thing. We have also said it's a good thing if they are looked after by their mothers. So we give them maternity leave. Unfortunatly this leads to discrimiation, so to reduce this we give it to fathers to.

The alternative is to either abolish maternity leave, or increase both wages and productivity so that families can survive on a single salary.

Families need to not automatically look to the state to sort out their personal issues.

Agree with you. I am perhaps not quite so outraged... but I don't really do outrage.

Equality of parental leave would make it so much harder to discriminate at work - no point avoiding female employees of child-bearing age if all people of child-bearing age are as likely to fuck off for a year.

but getting my job back after having a kid is not a personal issue, it's a corporate issue in that no employer i have ever had would have done it without legislation.

Moondog - how do you suggest that families encourage employers to not discriminate against women of childbearing age?

I agree with OP;it's discriminatory and indefensible.

Yanbu

LeninGrad - sorry, all I meant by that was that it's (rightly) not acceptable for political parties to be seen to be discriminating against ethnic minorities or gay people, but that this is a very serious example of discrimination against women.

I see no problem with it being a set period divided up between partners. (It shouldn't be male/female rules anyway as both partners could be female) I do think it more likely that the woman who gave birth needs it more (at first anyway) but they could work that out between them.

I wonder what would happen though if one partner wanted to take advantage of the other (to go fishing/shopping a lot?) You'd have to think carefully about the wording of the law. Maybe have a default arrangement (half each?) if neither could agree.