In what the Daily Telegraph calls an attack on “yummy mummies”, Cherie Blair said at Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women event in London that she worries that young women are turning their back on feminism by regarding motherhood as an acceptable alternative to a career. She said women should strive for both.
The wife of the former Prime Minister, who often felt criticised for maintaining her own career while her husband was in office, said mothers who work are setting a better example for their children by making them more independent.
“Every woman needs to be self-sufficient and in that way you really don’t have a choice - for your own satisfaction.” Cherie said.
“You hear these yummy mummies talk about being the best possible mother and they put all their effort into their children. I also want to be the best possible mother, but I know that my job as a mother includes bringing my children up so actually they can live without me,” she said.
Cheri’s address comes at a time when the Government is reviewing how to make childcare more affordable in the UK, after research identified it as one of the top concerns for families.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of mothers in some form of paid work is now 66 per cent, up from 61 per cent in 1996.
Read more...
