There is no doubt that women today are pretty much well free of the social shackles that bound our grandmothers, and even mothers, back before the sisterhood took to the streets in the sixties. We have free and unhindered access to study; we work beside the men in all industries. We are protected in the workplace by laws stating our male colleagues cannot pinch our bottoms, call us sweetie or fire us when we fall pregnant.

But how many would like to – fire us when pregnant I mean…?

Just recently I was reading several articles where employers, both male and female, stated that if the current anti-discrimination laws were not in place they would not hire a pregnant woman and would even go so far as to sack a woman who fell pregnant soon after starting a new job. They claim a pregnant employee costs money and time, puts pressure on other employees and reduces workplace productivity.

Today, an employer is not allowed to ask a female job applicant her plans with regards to starting a family; they are not allowed to inquire if she is pregnant or even for that matter if she is even married/engaged/in a relationship. This infringes on her rights to employment – but what about the rights of the employer…do they have any?

Disturbingly many employers now claim they would prefer not to employ a woman of childbearing age for fear she will fall pregnant soon after starting a new job. This means that women, aged 18 to 40, stand a chance of finding it very difficult to get a job at all – a return to a predominantly male workplace environment. Before the liberation protests of the sixties women worked in categorized fields; secretaries, nursing, teaching, shop work – but as soon as they married or started a family they were expected to stand down and stay at home. Today the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction and women expect to retain their positions throughout pregnancy and beyond. But, they claim, young women present too many risks.

But what are we supposed to do - stay at home and twiddle our thumbs until the menopause? even then try and get your foot on the corporate ladder as a woman in your forties/fifties – it’s extemely difficult. You will have no experience other than that Degree you earned at university which will be well out of date by the time society deems you a safe enough risk to employ.

Maybe some compromise is needed. Personally I would not be bothered if an employer asked me if I was married or wanted to start a family in the future. I think employers have some right to know if their new team member is going to be a long term proposition or one that is going to cost money and time and need to be replaced in the near future. At least allow them the option to ask…and whether women opt to volunteer such information should be up to them.