Emancipation of women directly involves men, when it comes to shared parenthood, working environment and cultural patterns that might have to change.
Sometimes you can get disappointed by the level of emancipation due to the glass ceiling and other phenomena, but then you see the men and their children and how it effects work. Is this a sustainable and accepted development in emancipation?
In a local paper “Kontakt” I’m intrigued by the announcement of a local representative of the Christian Democratic party at Woerden. A more traditional party that was not first in line to defend emancipation and used to promote the traditional distribution of unpaid work in the household.
The title of the picture in the paper states it is right time for my family. In the article he states he wants to be there for his family with three children and doesn’t want to miss out.
This week one of my clients stated, “I don’t understand. Why would men want to miss out on their children in the past? I can’t understand it.” He was sincere like the local municipal councillor, and of course this is a marking stone of change, fundamental change, if they are so open about it.
In the past if women brought their children to work, because there was no babysitter, this was not a positive thing, and they would get remarks, especially by men. You have to arrange it better, and this is not possible at work etc. Even recently a manager asked a young female talent: “But now you have a child, how are you going to manage this?”
When a colleague heard that this was the reason for this woman to leave the company, he asked the other men: “Did we ever ask you how you manage your children? What kind of patriarchal question is this?”
You see men walking on the street with the stroller, biking with the cargo bike for children, working less hours during the week (average 32) and not blinking when changing the nappies. This is revolution, and a very nice one, it doesn’t block highways and gently without noise it takes place. Thanks to all the women negotiating at home, and mothers learning their sons. It receives more support and compliments than women emancipation every received, but men this is great empowerment and something companies have to take into account!
