Despite some teeny-tiny steps in the past few years towards equality between the sexes, women in positions of power continue to be treated in a truly piss-poor manner, with retrograde perspectives towards female’s roles in society constantly rearing their fugly heads.
Point and, embarrassing, case is the treatment of newly-minted leader of the New Zealand Labour party, Jacinda Arden, who on the morning of her first full-day in the job has had to deal with a radio host dishing out the naff as hell “what would happen if you had kids one day” bullshittery.
Not pictured: patience for your bullshit.
Arden was chatting on the ‘AM Show’ with interviewer Mark Richardson, when he implied employers should be made aware of female worker’s pregnancy plans before hiring them and noting how in particular, such an issue is relevant even to a prospective Prime Minister:
I think this is a legitimate question for New Zealand, because she could be the prime minister running this country – she has our best interests at heart, so we need to know these things. If you are the employer of a company you need to know that type of thing from the woman you are employing … the question is, is it OK for a PM to take maternity leave while in office?
Not taking an iota of it, Arden called out Richardson’s backwards comments, calling this kind of thought “totally unacceptable”:
For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace. That is unacceptable in 2017. It is the woman’s decision about when they choose to have children. It should not predetermine whether or not they get the job.
Attempting to defend himself, Richardson even went as far to say he would ask the same question of a male prospective PM, which is quite simply, one huge crock of shit.
Whilst it should be said the other two hosts of the radio show strongly disagreed with Richardson’s crap, it’s super disheartening that this kind of anti-feminist garbage is still circling mainstream media.
Asking a woman, any woman really, about her “baby plans” is much like asking a woman about her plans for her kidneys, or her big toe or any other part of her body, i.e. it’s none of your fucking business.
