Yesterday I came across a woman who is confident enough in her capabilities that she brought her baby (looks like a one year old) to a workshop on digital security. She is lucky to have her mother-in-law traveling with her and helping her out, but we had a conversation. She works in a women's rights/feminist organization in Thailand, an organization that allowed her to go on a maternity leave, to go back to work slowly into the work pace, bringing her baby to a work related workshop, and she says the office is a child friendly atmosphere. She told me she is thinking of giving up her big office to a smaller one so there would be a room for employees' kids.
Being a feminist does not mean that you do not want to have a baby just because it is a mainstream traditional role for women. I am a feminist, a proud woman, and one day I want to be a mother, and I have the right to fulfill all the roles that I want to play in this life. There is not a one way of working and one way of work environment. Another reason behind why every issue is a feminist issue is that they way the world is constructed and values are made is based on men's view: how men think work should look like, which value they appreciate in an employees, etc. and women can't help but try to compete in this framework, to be a successful a woman needs to act like a man in work place, have the same male value (aggressiveness, high level competitiveness, etc.) and if-God-forbids she shows any "female values" she is called all sorts of names that are not very "professional" or not appreciated in the traditional work field; such as weak, emotional, etc.
Women who are working are hiding that they are pregnant, in interview hiding that they are engaged or planning to in fear they loose the opportunity or get fired because the employer do not want to be giving her the maternity leave. Women are a little bit luckier if they work in the human rights sector, at least people would not want their human rights organization to look bad towards women right?! So far, I've seen one good example in this regards, a feminist organization giving the employee a 3 months leave then allowing her to bring her baby to the work space, which I think is amazing and the right thing to do, it is the only organization that I actually believe they do respect every aspect of a woman's life.
Childbearing should be celebrated and respected, and women should not feel they need to make a compromise over their careers or their personal life. Employees don't have to be all without children, a work place should not always be children free.
Feminism is about challenging the status quo and it should remain this way, as long as the world functions the way "men" have put it, the world is a feminist issue.
Being a feminist does not mean that you do not want to have a baby just because it is a mainstream traditional role for women. I am a feminist, a proud woman, and one day I want to be a mother, and I have the right to fulfill all the roles that I want to play in this life. There is not a one way of working and one way of work environment. Another reason behind why every issue is a feminist issue is that they way the world is constructed and values are made is based on men's view: how men think work should look like, which value they appreciate in an employees, etc. and women can't help but try to compete in this framework, to be a successful a woman needs to act like a man in work place, have the same male value (aggressiveness, high level competitiveness, etc.) and if-God-forbids she shows any "female values" she is called all sorts of names that are not very "professional" or not appreciated in the traditional work field; such as weak, emotional, etc.
Women who are working are hiding that they are pregnant, in interview hiding that they are engaged or planning to in fear they loose the opportunity or get fired because the employer do not want to be giving her the maternity leave. Women are a little bit luckier if they work in the human rights sector, at least people would not want their human rights organization to look bad towards women right?! So far, I've seen one good example in this regards, a feminist organization giving the employee a 3 months leave then allowing her to bring her baby to the work space, which I think is amazing and the right thing to do, it is the only organization that I actually believe they do respect every aspect of a woman's life.
Childbearing should be celebrated and respected, and women should not feel they need to make a compromise over their careers or their personal life. Employees don't have to be all without children, a work place should not always be children free.
Feminism is about challenging the status quo and it should remain this way, as long as the world functions the way "men" have put it, the world is a feminist issue.
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