Finance jobs perceived as closed off to female students

I have long considered that equal rights for both maternity and paternity (or at least more equal) would go a long way to chipping away at that glass ceiling. If it was equally likely that a man was going to take a long paternity as a woman, it would be very difficult to desciminate - all people of 'child -rearing age would come under equally likely 'suspicion' (for want of a better word).  

Of course it would take a cultural shift that may take some years to view either parent to be equally worthy main child carers I appreciate there is a biological requirment for new born children to be with the mother), however the current laws surrounding maternity and paternity pay heavily incentivises the mother to be the main child carer.

I know of plenty of couples of whom the female is the breadwinner with better career prospects and earning more than their partner but, due the maternity laws have opted to take maternity leave.

This, I believe, is a huge contributor to the apparant glass ceiling effect whereby women fail to make it to board level. Really its not that surprising that if a woman chose (was economically forced?) to take a career gap of a few years for child bearing purposes (often at a critical time in their carrer - late 20s early 30s) that they end up "behind" their male counterparts who took no such break - their male equivelents are now a few years more experienced.

This is always an increadibly emotive subject and I suspect this post will get blasted from all sides from individuals who have vested interests.

My proposal (and I haven't fully thought this through so there will bound to be objections etc etc) is an 'allowance' of time per child so that it can be split between mother and father (or other child carers such as grandparents etc) in the way that it best suits their individual circumstances. This would be good for the child, both parents, female career prospects and even employers and would probably be good for the economy and possibly even lead to better society

Politicians - please feel free to take this as a policy (I suspect, delivered in the right way it would be a vote winner!)

I would be interested to hear your resposnses to this proposal

Accountant Southampton

I remember a job interview in 1989 when I was a new graduate that went something like this:

Partner: Are you planning to have children?

Me: I don't want any (this was true at the time)

Partner: Why not?

Needless to say I decided not to work for that firm. I'm sorry to hear that things have not improved in 20 years.

Many years later I changed my mind about children and, with my husband, we chose the conventional route so I am the primary carer.

My difficulty came when the children started school and I wanted to return to the work I enjoy but still be there for my family. Having relocated I had no business contacts locally and was unable to find suitable employment so I set up my own practice.  Now I am competing against the firms where I would happily have been employed. As my own situation proves, it is possible to work successfully part time.

I'm all for equal maternity/paternity rights so that families can choose what suits them. I believe that flexible working should be available to all and not just parents and carers. Unpaid sabbaticals would give childless/childfree employees a more equal place too.

I'm not sure how one would administer a shared maternity/paternity/grandparenting leave as suggested above.