Sir, - The limitations of a letters page preclude a full response to the arguments put forward by John Waters in your issues of March 10th and 11th. Here are some brief but pertinent facts which Mr Waters might consider.
With regard to his comments regarding women's increasing participation in paid employment, is he aware that a large body of research evidence points to the fact that women continue to experience both vertical and horizontal segregation within the workplace and constitute the majority of part-time workers? Furthermore, European women, experience higher rates of unemployment than do their male counterparts.
As for his assertion that men want to spend more time with their children, has he considered that in Sweden - where there is a relatively generous parental leave policy - only about half of Swedish fathers avail of leave? Moreover, of those who do take leave, most take only about 1 1/2 months of the 12 available to them and their partners, and less than 10 per cent share leave equally.
Finally, as to his claim that women, by virtue of their child-bearing function, have a multiplicity of options regarding mothering and working (presumably he refers to paid work - all mothers work), I would like him to explain what options the marriage bar left women. Maybe he would also like to explain the options that Irish women have in a country which has the second lowest level of childcare services in Europe.
The European Commission's 1993 document, European Social Policy Options for the Union states that "gender-based division, of family and employment responsibilities not only constrains women's lives, but also deprives men of the emotional rewards resulting from the care and development of children". Were Mr Waters to approach the issue of, fatherhood in this spirit of trying to increase the wellbeing of both women and men and that of their children, he would be less likely to get trapped in the fruitless, confrontational and self-pitying cul de sac he appears to be headed for. - Yours, etc.,
Department of Applied Social Studies, University College, Cork.