It is clear that there is still a long way to go so that the reconciliation of work life and family life is a fact implanted naturally in our society, and these data we comment confirm. A study conducted by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) highlights that 75% of the women surveyed declare that they have suffered labor problems due to their maternity.
Commissioned by the Ministry of Equality, this study, entitled "Fertility and work history", is based on a survey of 10,000 women between 15 and 75 years old. One of the conclusions is that there has been an increase in perceived discrimination in recent years, which has increased from 3.7% to 7.6%.
As explained at a press conference the CSIC researcher Margarita Delgado, problems increase in younger generations, since formerly the birth of the first child used to mean abandonment of the labor market by women., Something that today is not habitual.
It is highlighted in the conclusions that the number of women who are not mothers at 50 remains quite stable (between 8% and 12%) throughout the generations. This implies that there is no rejection of motherhood, but what has changed is that women decide to have fewer children and later. The reason is that the opportunity cost of motherhood (the waivers that it entails) is much higher for younger generations.
Undoubtedly, the labor problems faced by women are due to the lack of a labor and family reconciliation policy that is more than evident. One of the consequences are maternal mobbing situations, unfortunately too frequent in our society.
Therefore, the CSIC researcher asks the public authorities "more active policies to support families" and claims greater involvement of civil society, considering that a change of mentality is necessary, both among employers and among workers, and "a more equitable sharing between men and women in housework. " A complicated task but to fight for.
This suspense in work and family conciliation gives us thinking, and the negative consequences should be taken into account by administrations and companies. Unfortunately, the cases in which a mother is facilitated with the integration of family life and work are still news.
I find it sad that, at this point, the percentage of women whose work is affected by their maternity is so high. We must fight to erase, or even mitigate, those interferences that neither let work in optimal conditions nor take care of children as desired. From here we can read the study of the CSIC in a pdf document.
