A new campaign by Pregnant Then Screwed and Dad Shift UK is raising awareness of the dire state of paternity leave in the UK. Here, Glamour's Purpose Editor Lucy Morgan reflects on how the current laws are putting her off having children altogether.
There's a sign at my local café that reads, ‘No prams when busy.’ Even though I'm not in possession of a pram – nor a baby, for that matter – it irks me because I know the vast majority of pram-pushers are mothers; sleep-deprived mothers who need a caffeine fix, whose partners are, invariably, at work. And unlike the café owners choosing to display pass-agg signs, the partners don't actually have a choice.
New fathers and non-birthing parents in full-time employment can take up to two weeks off work as their statutory paternity leave, during which they typically earn less than the minimum wage. And bad luck if they're self-employed; this means they get no paid leave whatsoever. This inevitably leaves new mums to navigate parenthood on their own – often while recovering from a C-section and/or a traumatic birth.
In England, 42% of all births are now by caesarean section, which is a serious procedure that requires at least six weeks of recovery time, during which mothers may not even be able to hold their babies. What are these women meant to do when their partner goes back to work? A new campaign by Pregnant Then Screwed and The Dad Shift UK aims to answer this question and raise awareness of how the UK's paternity leave laws actually impact families.
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The campaign includes billboards showing women proudly revealing their C-section scars, plastered with stickers that say ‘Paternity leave is a motherf*cker’.
Speaking about the campaign, Rachel Grocott, CEO of Pregnant Then Screwed, says, “Women have been paying the price of rubbish paternity leave for decades,” adding that, “Asking parents to survive on parental pay that is significantly below the national living wage is inhumane.”
George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, adds, “It’s hard to put into words just how shit it feels as a dad, knowing you can’t be there for your partner as they care for your baby while recovering from major surgery.”
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The decision to have children is deeply personal and not something I'd ever take for granted. Nor am I assuming that I'll be raising a child with a partner. But when I think about whether or not I want to have children, I'm not musing on the mind-altering potential of motherhood; I'm thinking about whether I want to be a mother in a society hell-bent on making mothers suffer; I'm thinking about whether I can really navigate this world without the day-to-day support of a partner.
I appreciate single mums and solo parents may be rolling their eyes at me right now, and honestly? Fine! I'm in awe of you – especially you, Ellie – and I sincerely believe that improved paternity leave is just one element of the social upheaval needed to stop screwing over mothers. Flexible working must become the norm, not a luxury. Childcare should be affordable. And yes, cafés should have room for prams.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
