A vent about discrminiation against...

Ok, first of all, I KNOW there are many good managers and companies who do NOT discriminate against women, especially working mothers. I KNOW because I am working for such companies and thankful that I am working for them. However, I still need to vent because such discrimination still exists and it peeves me off.

/begin vent

The last week or 2, somehow the topic of discriminations in hiring women, especially women with a family, came up numerous times in conversations with friends and people at work. It sounded to me that such discriminations are very common. It also surprised me that women are not only discriminated against in the big bad world of private, corporate businesses, they are also being purposely overlooked for jobs/promotions in academia. In the hiring process, or assignments for important projects, or for promotions, women of childbearing age is often dismissed or not even considered because of a perceptions that they will be distracted with family and children and will somehow underperform compared to their peers.

Well, that just peeve me off big time.

True, working mothers have many more added responsibilities outside of work. Also true that working mothers generally prioritise their child/ren and family ahead of work.

BUT: what better to prove that one is capable to perform one's duties at work, than someone who is already currently juggling many things when they are at home, and succeeding?

From personal experience, motherhood has been the most challenging and difficult thing I have ever done. By comparison, completing 2 degrees; getting my MCSE in a month; or even hiking up the Himalaya were all child's play. Motherhood taught me much more than any university courses could've done, especially in time management, multi-tasking, neogiation skills and most of all, patience and willingness to do tasks that I really didn't want to do. Come on, would anyone willingly change a soiled nappy with a big smile on their face? But every mother does it. Therefore, I believe employers should consider a woman's ability to raise a healthy, balanced child as a credit to her CV and definitely NOT a liability.

Furthermore, although it'd be wonderful to be a stay at home mum and devote my time and energy to raising my children, most of us do not have that luxury due to financial pressures. Personally, I believe a working mother actually VALUE their time away from the the chores and their angelic but probably still screaming, kids. They value the adult interactions, the challenges at work that utilises their intellectual minds, and they value being more than just a mother.

For example: before I fell pregnant, I started my Master's degree in IT Management. The first subject I did, I barely studied and scrapped through with a Credit. I took 2 semesters off to have Kaitlyn. When I returned to uni, Kaitlyn was over 6 months old and I had been a full time mother up to that point. I LOVE spending time with my daughter, I LOVE watching her play, grow and learn new things all the time. But, I also value my time away. I no longer took for granted that I am out and about on my own. I no longer took for granted all the intellectual discussions in classes. I no longer took for granted the time I could have to study for the classes when Kaitlyn was sleeping. Technically, I had less time to do my studies because I could only do that when Kaitlyn's sleeping. But for some reason, I actually got more done, and did them all much better than before. I finished this semester with High Distinctions.

Some of the most capable people I know at work, are working mothers. I have met women who completed their Ph.D while raising a young child. I believe the employers and companies who discriminate against working mothers, some even go as far as discriminating women of child bearing age regardless if they currently have children, are doing themselves great injustice. They are missing out on many very capable, intelligent, talented individuals who could contribute much to the company.

/steps off the soapbox
/end vent