France's motherhood revolt
A politician's quick return to work after childbirth sparks an outcry
Lots of moms are furious at French Justice Minister Rachida Dati, said Sabrina Weill in AOL Living. Dati, 43 and single, returned to work this month just five days after giving birth to her first child by C-section, and her critics say she’s “is sending a scary 'you must also be Mega-Super-Iron-Mom!' message to working women everywhere.”
Enough with the “witch hunt,” said Martina Devlin in the Irish Independent. Dati didn‘t betray other women—“she is a pin-up for feminism.” She is merely taking advantage of the “range of options” feminists have always wanted for women. That makes her no different from any other “single working mother juggling demands on her time.”
Dati’s brand of feminism is “a lie,” said Sarah Carey in the Irish Times. By showing off in stiletto heels and a snazzy black dress when she “should have been at home in bed,” she sent the message that all new moms could “bounce back from childbirth and do their jobs if they wished.” Running back to work—by choice or to protect your job—“might be the norm but that doesn’t make it normal.”
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