Womenomics

“In a society where the rights and potential of women are constrained, no man can be truly free. He may have power, but he will not have freedom”

Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first woman president.

There has been a slew of reports and commentaries of working women; why the women in the workplace figures are different, women as working parents (Why do men as working parents never get a mention?) and the glass ceiling.

It appears that unemployment is down by 2000, but 12,000 full time jobs held by women have vanished-the assumption is that these positions have morphed into part time positions. The new Women’s affairs minister Steve Chadwick, claims that women will really only get equality when we have really “good childcare arrangements”

What a load of rubbish. The only way we will achieve “equality” is through equal sharing of power. Economic power comes from full acceptance in the workplace; that means a change in culture. The changes may be overt- no longer rewarding aggressive workplace behaviour or covert, utilising feminine or generic powers. We need to see more women on boards in government, both national and local. And lastly we need to promote ourselves and our work; we are far too willing to stay in the background.