It is not motherhood or children who are hurting women's careers, it is men.
In the year of the woman, with a record number being elected to the United States Congress and a record number of woman running to become President in 2020. Not to mention the Metoo movement giving woman a stronger voice (or voice that many have never had.)
It's hard to not see the opportunities being created for woman. But and a big but to me, I've got one issue, that I am sure is going to ruffle a few male egos.
That issue is blunt yet, bold in it's steps. Simply put men need to stop being hypocrites.
If fathers did the same kind of work at home that mothers have always done, women’s careers could flourish in ways we haven’t yet imagined.
It is not just an issue of workplace balance, and motherhood, homemaker, wife etc; it is man's need to serve their own egos, that is truly preventing woman succeeding and being recognized in the way they should be.
I am going to use my brother as a shining example of letting his wife, partner, best friend share the shining of that light. My brother is a successful business owner and his wife is a doctor, yet throughout thier entire relationship, I have always seen my brother display the word equal in it's full meaning (and then some.)
My brother and his wife have four children all under the age of 11 and he has always been a equal to his wife in taking care of their children and doing the household chores (not just the meanless ones, like taking out the garbage.
Oh sure when my brother is working, and his wife is not he often times comes home from work to a meal already in the preparing stages. After saying hi to his kids and wife, my brother does not sit down and watch TV in his mancave (he doesn't even have one,) he jumps right in and helps his wife, finish preparing dinner.
Then after dinner he helps the kids with their homework, and may also start a load of laundry, all the while his wife is getting some important time for her own self-care.
Because my brother owns his own business, he can easily adjust his schedule to accommodate his wife and his responsibilities as a husband, father and home owner. By doing so, he has given his wife the change to continue her career has doctor. They talked about this before marriage and kids and I do have to agree with them, because by sharing their responsibilities equally, both their careers are equally at the level they want them to be at.
Note: Woman who take time off work to have a child, not only lose their income from employment, but sadly they also take a financial hit when they do return to their careers/jobs. Because it takes a woman on average five years to get back to her earning level she was at (before maternity leave,) once they return to their career/job.
So in closing it is not motherhood or children who are hurting women's careers, it is men. To get a full perspective of my opinion please read the article in the link I provided.
https://medium.com/s/jessica-valenti/kids-dont-damage-women-s-careers-men-do-eb07cba689b8