Children First, Career After
Clemente Ferrer
Having a child can significantly alter the working lives of more than half of the women who
are between the ages of 30 and 44. They are obliged to reduce their working hours, or in other cases, to leave work on a temporary basis or even
permanently. Children alone do not explain the difficulty of reconciling work and family. It also depends on female employment rates and on the low
fertility of 1.34 children per woman.
Member States of the European Parliament have a high fertility rate and register to have the highest
female employment rates in comparison to countries not members of the European Union (EU). An interesting fact for Spain relating to birth rates is
that about 37% of female workers have temporal contracts while the EU average is only 15.5%.
In a young family, it is common for both spouses
have a temporal contract, which influences their child-related plans. Most women of the EU believe that the ideal family model is one where both
spouses have similar professions and share the childcare responsibilities that being a parent bring. However, less than half of families live such
ideal situation.
Being a working woman does not impede bringing a child to this world or having a big family. A 20th century author shares his
opinion on work and family by reminding parents “not to doubt having a big family, because what is important in life is not to search for
professional success, but to transmit to your children human and Christian values, which give true meaning to our human existence”.
In
this decadent society, children have to be valued for their entire dimension and transcendence as a developing human. Unfortunately, some adults seem
to have a special tendency to go “against nature”, thus degrading, or even killing through abortion, a child’s physical and moral
integrity. Those cruel mothers must never forget that those developing children in their wombs are God’s and not theirs.
“Childhood misadventures can impact a child’s entire life and can leave an inexhaustible fountain of melancholy in their
hearts”, states P. Brulat. (Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez Moretti).
Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished
career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing.
Email:
clementeferrer3@gmail.com
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