Should Women Return to Their Kitchens?

Though some people have suggested that women should return to housework in order to leave more jobs for men, the ideas have been rejected by both women and men in public opinion polls.

Lately some union officials have suggested that too many women are employed in types of work more suitable for men and that women should step aside to make way for unemployed young men. They argue that women—especially women in their childbearing years actually delay economic development and result in lower productivity, poor quality and inefficiency.

To solve the problem, they have suggested that the working women stay at home while their husbands or brothers were given double wages. They argue that under these circumstances, families would retain their same level of income, and women could run the house and raise children much better.

The suggestion has been flatly rejected by 9 out of 10 people polled. A hundred persons in a big city were questioned last summer. Out of 50 women, 46 said they were unwilling to leave their jobs, no matter what the situation. The other 4 said they would like to return home if their jobs could be taken by their sons or daughters. Of 50 men polled, only 6 said they would like to see their wives resign their jobs, if it meant higher wages for themselves.

Some other people have suggested another way called "phased employment" theory. The theory suggests that a woman worker take leave from her job when she is seven months pregnant and stay off the job until her baby reaches the age of 3. It suggests that women on leave receive 75 percent of their normal salary and be allowed to return to work after the 3-year period. This will benefit children, women, their families and the society. Some of those polled, both women and men, felt the idea is a good one. It definitely seems to be more acceptable than the suggestion that women return to home forever.