Where Having It All Doesn’t Mean Having Equality

Victoria Phillips
10/22/10
2:23 pm

France offers women the best benefits after they’ve given birth. “Weeks after giving birth, French women are offered a state-paid, extended course of vaginal gymnastics, complete with personal trainer, electric stimulation devices and computer games that reward particularly nimble squeezing.” They are also given a paid four month maternity from their job. In fact, they are given such huge tax reductions for each child, that by the time they’ve had four children, they practically pay no taxes. However, France still holds on the traditional roles of men and women, which caused them to be 46th in the World Economic Forum’s 2010 gender equality report. 82% of parliamentary seats are held by men and women earn 26% less than men. Many women work full time and are still expected to take care of all the children. French women have the most babies in Europe, yet consume the most anti-depressants. All of the maternity benefits given to French women by the state is done to keep women sexually attractive and active so they will make more babies. “The 1870 defeat by a much more fertile Prussia led to first efforts to encourage childbirth.”
It seems almost degrading toward women to offer all the benefits for women after they’ve given birth. To many outsiders, it would seem like French women are very much honored and taken care of. However, the only reason they are receiving these benefits is because the French government wants them to have more babies. It’s sort of the same concept in the US. Many outsiders think that US women have the life of luxury. Compared to many other countries, that’s true. However, the US still has some major inequality issues as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/world/europe/12iht-fffrance.html?pagewanted=2&sq=gender equality&st=cse&scp=7