Columnist’s Controversial Claim: ‘It Should Be Illegal to be a Stay-at-Home Mom’

Children doing homework. (Photo by: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)
Children doing homework. (Photo by: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)
By
Editor

An Australian columnist is taking some heat for a recent op-ed in which she said “it should be illegal to be a stay-at-home mum.”

While Sarrah Le Marquand, editor-in-chief of Stellar magazine, affirmed her belief that parenting is important and that both parents should certainly have the ability to spend more time with their babies during their early life, she pushed back against some of the sentiments and issues she believes surround stay-at-home motherhood.

“Rather than wail about the supposed liberation in a woman’s right to choose to shun paid employment, we should make it a legal requirement that all parents of children of school-age or older are gainfully employed,” La Marquand wrote for the Daily Telegram.

She continued, “Only when the female half of the population is expected to hold down a job and earn money to pay the bills in the same way that men are routinely expected to do will we see things change for the better for either gender.”

Le Marquand also argued that a “balanced modern workplace” can’t truly be discussed until both parents are engaging in paid employment and are, thus, “sharing the stress of the work-home juggle.”

In the end, the columnist pushed back against the notion that “feminism is about choice,” calling it an “unfounded” claim. Instead, La Marquand said the concept is really about pushing back against stereotypes. Read her piece in its entirety here.

The op-ed comes after a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that there’s reportedly been a dire impact on Australia’s economy due to women not being present enough in the workforce. In essence, many women choose to work part-time or stay home with their kids, Bloomberg reported.

“Australia’s relatively high childcare costs are one important factor contributing to the high ‘not in employment, education or training’ rates among young mothers with young children,” the OECD said. “There are potentially large losses to the economy when women stay at home or work short part-time hours.”

A separate study recently found that a stay-at-home mom would essentially — based on her time and work with her family — be worth an annual salary of $143,102 per year.

—

Other Must-Read Stories:

– Ex-Felon Who Found God Saves Cop’s Life Amid Brutal Beating — and Just in the Nick of Time

– Scientists Warn of Potentially ‘Catastrophic’ Discovery at the Holy Site Where Some Believe Jesus Was Buried

– Baby Born With 4 Legs and 2 Spines Doing Well After Coming to U.S. for Risky Surgery

– Christians Once Dominated Hollywood: The Fascinating Movie-Making History You Likely Didn’t Know

– Atheist and Pastor Debate Whether Science Contradicts the Bible — and See the Preacher’s Powerful Closing Remarks