Thursday, 8 March 2007

Not all women want day-care and day-jobs

United Future women's affairs spokesperson Judy Turner says that issues raised by International Women's Day need wider input from New Zealand women and their families.

"All the discussion is driven by unquestioned assumption that all women should be in paid work, job-for-job, dollar-for-dollar with the blokes," says Mrs Turner.

Today the Minister of Women's Affairs releasing, "research (that) will help ensure policy is implemented in a way that benefits working parents and their children," according to Ms Dalziel.

"Discussion tends to obsess about the 13% difference in average pay between men and women and how we need equality in the labour market, but without looking at the reasons behind the gap such as the valuable years that mothers often take out of the workforce to raise young families," says Mrs Turner.

"Many stay-at-home mothers feel undervalued. They are not victims of circumstance and deserve better support for their decision.

"It needs to be emphasized that staying at home to look after your family is a noble and valuable occupation, whether this is from the mother, the father or a bit of both.

"The constant pre-occupation with getting women away from the home and back into work is ok for parents who want this, and I definitely support ensuring they have choice, but the choice to stay at home also needs to be a valid and valued choice.

"These mums are not oppressed, not forced into slave labour but choose to spend a much time as they can with their family while they need them, and should be better supported and acknowledged," says Mrs Turner.

ENDS

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