THE views expressed by your columnist, Alison Rowat ("Come clean now: Who does the chores in your home?", The Herald, July 2) leave me quite perplexed. To quote: “I look at the younger women of today and they are still underpaid and undervalued: still afraid to claim their place in society as the equal of men”. When I in turn look at the women in my life, I see something quite different. Head of state is of course the Queen. The recent Prime Minister of the UK is a woman, as is the First Minister of Scotland, her Finance Secretary and my MP. A girl from my old school became a high court judge some time ago.
Looking after my general health, my doctor, physiotherapist, podiatrist, dental hygienist, leader of my exercise class and two specialist consultants are all women.
Down at the golf club, the important posts of secretary and general manager are filled by exceptionally competent, well respected women. In common with many other Rotary clubs up and down the land, this year’s president of my club is a woman, and, increasingly, ministers of the church are women. I entrust the arrangement of house and motor car insurance to two different women and major travel arrangements to a third. Holding their own in the world of macho men’s sport are the chairperson of the local SPFL football club and the president of the Scottish Rugby Union, both women.
Turning on the television set, I find many talented women in the roles of presenters and commentators. Happily, my late mother, my wife and my daughter do not fit Ms Rowat’s description and of my five grandchildren, the four girls are all making their way positively in life ready “ to claim their place in society as the equal of men”. Finally, I notice that of The Herald’s corps of excellent journalists, there seems to be no lack of competent and independently minded women, presumably being remunerated on the same basis as their male colleagues.
I wonder if you might ask Ms Rowat to look beyond her outdated take on gender equality and think again?
Colin Robertson, Bearsden.
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