Shortly after her appointment, Fortune magazine broke the news about her pregnancy. This is her first, a baby boy due October 7, 2012. This puts him just a little over 2 weeks after Baby Bearhat's expected due date. She disclosed her pregnancy to Yahoo! in June and no one on the board was concerned. “They showed their evolved thinking,” Mayer told Fortune. She added that she intends for her maternity leave to only be a “few weeks long” and that she’ll be working throughout it.
So, does she have it all?
If you haven't read the latest opinion piece on "having it all" by Anne-Marie Slaughter at The Atlantic, it's a solid read. I'm getting pretty tired of hearing this phrase, but Mayer's appointment really brought it back again front and center, and I have to admit I had quite a knee jerk reaction to her maternity leave plan. I guess as much as we don't try to judge, we all have strong opinions about what's best for our babies.
Kudos to Yahoo! for not even batting an eyelash regarding the pregnancy. Having more women in prominent positions is nothing but good news for me and my daughter in regards to gender equality in the workplace, so I wish her the best. However, I can't help but cautiously eye Yahoo!'s board with skepticism. Their board is a notoriously outspoken, gossipy bunch that has already blown through 3 CEOs in 2012 alone before appointing Mayer. Between them and her own little outspoken bundle of joy, she definitely has her work cut out for her.
In my opinion (worth nothing, BTW), when we talk about "having it all" we forget about those women who have nothing. I don't know what the details of Mayer's plan is when she decides to work during her maternity leave, but no one person (man or woman) can do it alone. Her husband, family, friends and/or hired help will be involved. I myself will have a sister staying with me during my leave and have been able to secure daycare for when I return to work. It's pricey, but I am thankful that I can afford to do so. Many women don't have that option and some are forgoing time with their own children to take care of the children of women who "have it all".
So my answer is no. Marissa Mayer does not have it all...and neither do I, but what we do have are choices. The majority of single mothers and lower income families do not have the choices that we do. The mommy wars drive me nuts because to me, just the mere fact that we can choose to stay at home or work on our careers is the victory. The fact that Baby Bearhat will also someday able to make a choice along that continuum is fantastic. Why do we waste our time bickering over which is the better choice and who's a better mother? It's a class-based debate that stifles our progress.
There's still a long way to go in regards to gender equality in the workplace, but at least in regards to families, maybe we could start with something to make it easier for dads to take off time for paternity leave, and increase awareness around making stay-at-home dads more culturally acceptable. Making it financially and culturally easier for dad to share the load at home gives men an option beyond bringing home the bacon. Today, even the most stellar employee is given a hard time for taking extra unpaid leave for a new child, and the most engaged fathers still find themselves dealing with "mean girl" parents who judge him for not working and assume based on his gender that he is less qualified to raise children. Gender inequality in the workplace not only undervalues women flat out, but also undervalues a man's place in the home. This creates a lopsided decision making process when a dual-income household starts to have children.
I believe that if parents can take turns being with baby, both can take turns working on their careers, and work together to raise a family. Then maybe....finally....not just women or men, but a family can have it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment