What's chauvinist is that you insist you can do what they do.
I can do what they do... and they can do what I do.. we just can't as well. One thing I can't do is get pregnant, lactate and breast feed. It is also proven that women are better at caring for infants than men. Women are better wired for it and have the right tools. Men don't. That doesn't mean a man can't raise an infant... Women are just better at it. Is that chauvinist?
There are guys/girls that can do things better than me. That is why I call my friends and ask for help. Everyone brings something to the table. We get to help each other and draw on each other strengths.
Family is not competition!!!
You can't and you'll never have to.
Why? Mega's mom had to be mother and father. The threat of single parenthood is real...that is why I am suggesting that we live our lives to prevent it. Either death or divorce its a real threat, so lets try to prevent divorce or death......
This is why she told you to "shut your pie hole". If you're male, you have no idea how much pressure the modern woman faces having to decide between career and family, especially in aviation.
We are just of different sociopolitical camps. Where does that pressure come from? Who is responsibile for it? Men? Other women? Society? The feminist movement was about choice.... (amongts other things...) And now that women are not bound to domestic homemaker, they trying to do both. It seems that June Cleaver/Laura Petry was not where women wanted to be but "having it all" has its issues too.... Sorry but the feminist or career women or whoever have created this quandry on their own... or has someone not lived up to their end of the deal? and if so ...what is the agreed upon deal?
Men are doing more in the house than ever before. More cooking, cleaning, diaper changes, ironing, laundry, etc... So whats the issue?
Do women have the right to be all things? Parent, wife and professional? Rights require responsibility. Its is like the double income issue. Poeple claim "two incomes are needed nowadays..." Well, what is going to happen when three incomes are needed? What is going to happen when women need to be Mom, wife, professional and _____.
As many have pointed out here, in this business, you can't just take a few years off, then go back like most careers. Take a few moments and imagine yourself in her situation before you lecture. What would YOU do?
More and more women are choosing one before the other. And some women are getting smart about it. 60 minutes ran segment about young women meeting guys at Harvard (or similiar Ivy league school). When the guys played 20 questions and found out that the girls were MBA students they stopped talking and walked away from the girls. Many girls have gone for the career only to find the marriage market isn't that great.
In addition, many girls who went for the career first were thinking that "they'll have kids later" not knowing that females only produce a limited number of eggs. When the girls hit thier mid 30's, pushing forties, it was difficult to even concieve. Something the "you can have it all" crowd failed to mention?
Many people are living well into thier 80's. Women are having children then going to college/grad school while the kids are in public school and starting their careers when the kids move out. Starting a career at 45 is not as easy as 25 but is being a professional, mom and wife easier?
As for the female pilots, I really empathize with them.. the travel schedule is tough...
From the moment a woman makes it known she's pregnant, she's expected to take her career off the table and put her family first.
What are the other alternatives? I mean if the husband says I'll quit and stay home (lots of families do this...) then great... But in a two career family one career, often, has to be secondary... Its up to each couple to decide which one will be...
Everyone she encounters throughout her pregnancy will ask her if she's going to quit or how she's going to do it. Our society expects women to be equals professionally, but in the background they're still expected to be June Cleaver.
Maybe society expects parents to raise thier own kids.
IF life was fair.... what would she do?
You are right.... life is not fair....but we still have responsibilites to each other and our kids...