I’m shocked that people are shocked by this finding: Progressive policies aimed at helping women juggle work and family can be detrimental to women’s careers.
The New York Times reports on the effects of some of these policies:
In Chile, a law requires employers to provide working mothers with child care. One result? Women are paid less.
In Spain, a policy to give parents of young children the right to work part-time has led to a decline in full-time, stable jobs available to all women — even those who are not mothers.
Elsewhere in Europe, generous maternity leaves have meant that women are much less likely than men to become managers or achieve other high-powered positions at work.
According to one recent study by María Prada, an economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, Chile’s pro-women law has resulted in a 9 to 20 percent decline in women’s starting salaries, reports The Times. (The law mandates that companies with 20 or more female workers provide free child care for children under age two.)
