Paternity potential, but the question is, how many will take it?

Paternity potential, but the question is, how many will take it?

This, in today’s Guardian describes the discrimination with which 30-45 year old women are viewed in the workplace, about which I wrote in my last blog “The sisterhood: why women have their claws out in the workplace”  and cites equal rights to paternity leave as a way to solve this problem.

But until men sprout tits, I’m not quite sure how men will ever be seen as equally likely to take time off following the birth of a child, which is why I believe women should be more than just protected by the state after having children but paid for by them too. A radical solution would be for mothers to be paid for breastfeeding the next generation (and thus saving the NHS a fortune in childhood and adult ailments, the root of which may well be formula milk, whether we like it or not, ladies who fight for their right to choose on this issue). A difficult solution to sell in to an electorate, perhaps, but one that seems to make sense by giving women back something that traditionally they are expected to do for the spurious reason of ‘love.’

Until the costs of early childhood are laid firmly at the door of the state,  rather than business, businesses will always view women of childbearing age as a risk less worth taking than a man of the same age and experience, and thus women will always face discrimination. There are no two ways about it. And until men can breastfeed, women will always be more likely to take time off after having a baby.