Pregnant and penalized

If you want to have a career and children, get ready to be penalized.  The problem is both biological and profession years bump up against each other:  Female biological and reproductive functions are at their prime at exactly the same time. 

This happened to me when I was pregnant with my son in 1975 and up for a promotion at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.  I won the job, but when they found out I was pregnant, they cancelled the competition and a few months later appointed the guy who had come second.  The next time it happened, I was pregnant for my daughter and had to wear baggy clothes and walk around with files and envelopes covering my belly because again, I was up for a promotion. 

Didn't get it when they found out.

When I worked for DuPont of Canada long before all that, I went to a reception in Toronto and chatted with the then-president, Bob Richardson.  I told him it was too bad women were penalized for bearing the biological function of having children.  He scoffed, brushed me off and walked off.  Guess his wife was a stay-at-home.

With Trudeau apologizing to anyone and everyone for everything, he should apologize to all pregnant women in the workforce who were effed back then.  Now everyone gets a year off and maternity and paternity benefits, but back then I lost my job, had to go on unemployment and did not get my job back.  That was a bit of a sacrifice, I'd say, to come back to work after six months and find someone else sitting in your office.  My question is, why should all the natives and LGBTQs get an apology?  We mothers, who reproduce and contribute to the next generation, should get an apology too.  

But we won't.  Trudeau's wife is set for life; so many mothers aren't.  That must be how he views life.  But, that's the way it was and still is.  Women have a small window to reproduce, yet are penalized. 

Outrageous, but as a grandmother I am so happy I took the penalty.  I still had a great career, albeit with less money.  Money can't replace the joy I have with the wee ones.  All I can say to working women is hang in there and work, but have a kid or two.