While I may be forging a reasonable path through the murky world of freelance journalism - my latest piece was in the Indy yesterday - Peter Wilby's doom and gloom on the front page of today's MediaGuardian has rather depressed me. It cannot be denied that most newsrooms I have set foot in have been rather heavy on the boys but I did not expect anyone to openly say that women will struggle to get ahead in journalism in this day and age.
However, Brown's plans to force employers to provide more flexible working hours for mothers is not the answer. All it will do is make women seem less employable and anyone will active ovaries will seem like a flight-risk. Additionally, co-workers will not want to work with women who have children because they will be obliged to work the anti-social hours that mothers don't have to. All this will lead to further hostility towards women with children and women 'at risk' of having children.
While women should by no means be punished for having children and forced to stay at home darning shocks, nor should childless workers be left to pick up their slack.
Wednesday 14 May 2008
Friday 2 May 2008
Election fever
Having spent the week harrassing poor homeowners who have taken in lodgers for a freelance piece I was writing I am now in the glam offices of the Press Association covering the local elections.
After a brief frenzy of excitement when our 'men on the ground' were ringing in constantly with fresh tales of Tory triumph and Labour losses we are now ha-humming staring at the phones for results of the London Assembly and the Mayor.
Not having a vote for the Mayoral election has been a bit of a sore spot with me this week and I looked longingly at the Islington polling station I strolled past yesterday afternoon.
Having bounded out of bed to vote early yesterday morning I have spent the the time since then bitterly resenting the lucky sods participating in the KenandBoris Show and haranguing my London friends who did not bother.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm such a voting junkie but you can't keep me away from a polling station with love or money. I think even if your predominant emotion is apathy it's important to make the symbolic gesture of voting because of the amount fought and sacrificed for the privilege. Maybe my sanctimonious lectures are the reason nobody wants me to talk about youth voting anymore. Hmmm.
After a brief frenzy of excitement when our 'men on the ground' were ringing in constantly with fresh tales of Tory triumph and Labour losses we are now ha-humming staring at the phones for results of the London Assembly and the Mayor.
Not having a vote for the Mayoral election has been a bit of a sore spot with me this week and I looked longingly at the Islington polling station I strolled past yesterday afternoon.
Having bounded out of bed to vote early yesterday morning I have spent the the time since then bitterly resenting the lucky sods participating in the KenandBoris Show and haranguing my London friends who did not bother.
I'm not entirely sure why I'm such a voting junkie but you can't keep me away from a polling station with love or money. I think even if your predominant emotion is apathy it's important to make the symbolic gesture of voting because of the amount fought and sacrificed for the privilege. Maybe my sanctimonious lectures are the reason nobody wants me to talk about youth voting anymore. Hmmm.
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