Elizabeth Broderick was in Brussels working with NATO as part of her role as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Officer when she was interrupted by a text.
“I look at it and it’s my son, ‘Mum what’s for dinner?,’ he says … ‘Hello, I’m in Brussels, ask Dad, he’s standing beside you,'” Broderick told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“And I thought, ‘I’m such a failure.’”
Broderick recounted the story to show that gender inequality not only still exists, but men also have family responsibilities despite many not owning up to this in the office.
More men need to step up and be open in the workplace about their responsibilities at home, she claims. And flexible working hours will help this.
“Interestingly a number of companies are now making flexibility the starting place … so every role in the organisation is available as a flexible work arrangement,” said Broderick.
The SMH reports Telstra saw a 300 per cent increase in male managers taking paid parental leave since they introduced flexible working hours only one year ago.
As Broderick prepares to depart her current position in September, she told the SMH if there was one thing she could succeed in doing, it would be making sure there’s “better sharing of paid and unpaid work between men and women”.
