What Women Want: Overview : SBS Insight

Overview

Do women want it all?

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“I am really not interested in breaking the glass ceiling breaking the glass ceiling is hard work.”

Meet Su Amaranayaka, she’s 36 and a mum to a two year old boy.

She gave up a career with GE Money to become a stay-at-home mum.

She says having it all is a myth.

“I honestly don’t know why I ever thought about doing it all. I don’t know how these parents, who have had 3-4 hours sleep, get up, put on their makeup, and go and work a full day.”

Recent reports show women still lag behind men in the workplace and the gender wage gap is the widest it has been in twenty years.

The Government says it’s determined to close the gender wage gap and increase women’s participation in the workplace.

But will the Government’s plans to provide equality and make the workplace more family-friendly shatter or strengthen the glass ceiling?

And do women want it all anyway?

This week Insight brings together women, employers and government to find out what women really want.

Meet the Guests

Su Amaranayaka

36 year old Su is a mother of a two year old boy. She gave up a career with GE Money to become a stay-at-home mum. She says having it all is a myth.

Megan Motto

Megan has a 16 month old son and is pregnant with her second child. She is the Chief Executive of the industry association Consult Australia. Her job involves long hours and regular travel. She says she's broken the glass ceiling and women can have it all.

Tanya Plibersek

The Minister for the Status of Women says the Federal Government has made life easier for working parents by amending the Fair Work Act 2009, giving them the right to request flexible conditions. She believes the Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme (due to start in 2011) is an important step in giving women the opportunity to re-enter the workforce after having children. The Minister is a mother of two children.

Bronwyn Bishop

Bronwyn is the Shadow Minister for Seniors. In 2006 Ms Bishop chaired an inquiry that found women's careers often plateau when they have children. She is supportive of Tony Abbott’s paid parental leave scheme. Ms Bishop is a mother of two daughters.

Barbara Pocock

Professor Pocock is Director of the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia. She says workplaces need to be more flexible and should take a life cycle approach to work – allowing women to step out and back into the workforce with ease. Prof. Pocock believes women can have it all, but not all at once. She is a mother of two children.

Garry Brack

Garry Brack is the Chief Executive of Australian Federation of Employers and Industries. He says the Federal Government’s new national employment standards, which allow greater flexibility for parents, will make things harder for businesses. Garry is a father of four children.

Catherine Hakim

Dr Catherine Hakim is a Senior Research Fellow in the Sociology Department at the London School of Economics. Dr Hakim believes women's choices and not discrimination are the main reason for inequality in the workplace. She says family friendly policies only strengthen the glass ceiling. She has no children.