Madam, – Sé D’Alton (January 21st) misses the point in his response to Eileen Drew (January 20th).
Rachida Dati may have chosen not to name the father of her child publicly, but the chorus condemning her decision to return to work immediately after the birth of her child has been unfairly selective.
When Tony Blair returned to work a few days after the birth of his son Leo, he was applauded as a caring father for having taken so much time off.
The double standard is clearly evident. Feminists fought hard for the right to take maternity leave – now well-established in law, and hardly undermined just because one high-profile woman in public office returns to work early. It’s just another case of “blame the mother”.
Those who rush to judgment on Ms Dati could put their energies to better use in seeking a right to paid paternity leave.
Only when the responsibility of fathers is recognised in the workplace will it be possible to challenge the double standard effectively. – Yours, etc,
IVANA BACIK,
Seanad Éireann,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.