Motherhood: The Mother of All Sexism, a Plea for Parental Equality

Journalist and blogger Hamelin’s debut on systemic gender inequality is a timely reminder that, despite decades of incremental changes, stereotypes and other significant barriers continue to plague women in the workplace. While much of the material is Quebec-focused—the province is often upheld as a progressive example of how relatively inexpensive childcare and comparably generous parental leave have leveled the playing field—it will serve as a well-argued basis for discussion in other jurisdictions. Hamelin writes with a justifiable anger and conversational asides to the reader (“Are you kidding?”), combining objective reportage, personal opinion, and occasional rants to warn that women continue to suffer because of unaddressed structural factors including pension differentials, wage disparities, and the manner in which mothers and nonparents alike are negatively affected by skewed perceptions of who should be the primary caregiver in child-raising relationships. In tune with the #MeToo movement, Hamelin’s call to arms is a worthy contribution that rejects the notion that women’s equality has been achieved, while also proposing changes to reach that still elusive goal. [em](Oct.) [/em]