Biology.......and its nasty consequences

Nothing has changed since I had my children 36 and 33 years ago.  If you have the biological function of reproduction, you are discriminated against in the workplace. 

I remember being pregnant and hiding it because I knew it would not help my prospects.  I used to walk around holding files and papers over my front to conceal my condition because I was up for a promotion and the interview was fast-approaching.  Well, I came first in the interview, but when they learned I was pregnant they cancelled the competition.  Yep, that's exactly what they did.  A few weeks later they reinstated it and guess what?  The guy who came second "won".  That used to happen on a regular basis.  Be a woman, get pregnant.....big problem. 

An article in 'The Harvard Business Review' brings it all depressingly home again.  Nothing has changed.  "If a woman has a child, her chances of being hired fall by 79%," the research proves. (In my case it was "zero".)  "She is 50% less likely to be promoted as is a childless woman and her salary offer will be reduced by $11,000." 

But women (mothers) are litigating and winning most of the time.  In the US, two-thirds of plaintiffs who sue in federal court on the basis of "family responsibilities discrimination" prevail at trial.  That's because the companies that demote, or do not promote, working mothers are in the wrong.

That's why so many educated women are not having children until later -- or are having none at all.  The workplace is not friendly to mothers.  I was told that to get a DG position in communications in the federal government I would have to spend two years in the Privy Council Office.  The PCO!  That's where everyone worked from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. -- whether they had to or not.  Well, I had no choice but to turn down the job because I had toddlers.  No way -- even with a live-in nanny -- could I have managed that.  But no way could I also have mentioned the reason, otherwise the PCO guy would have told my (male)boss, who would have.............you know.............formed a negative opinion about me...."different priorities........too bad, she's such a bright woman". 

No, you had to pretend you didn't have children and soldier on. 

Still, I loved working outside the home.  Much more rewarding in the long run than diaper sagas.