France

Feminists shocked by Dati's lightning maternity leave

Article published on the 2009-01-09 Latest update 2009-01-09 13:52 TU

Sarkozy greets Dati back after her return to work
(Photo: Reuters)

Leading French feminists have slammed Justice Minister Rachida Dati's speedy return to work, after giving birth to a daughter, Zohra, on 2 January. Dati has told her critics that "pregnancy is not an illness" but women's rights campaigners say that she is undermining the right to maternity leave.

"It's a scandal," said Maya Surduts, of the National Collective for women's rights, while Florence Montreynaud, president of the feminist group Chiennes de garde, believes that Dati is setting "a very bad example".

Surduts argues that employers could exploit Dati's rapid return to work to put "intolerable pressure" on female employees. While Montreynaud accuses her of being boosted by "the adrenaline of power".

Feminist opinion is not unanimous. In the freesheet Metro, another Chiennes de garde leader, Isabelle Alonso, salutes Dati's "courage and tenacity" in breaking down the barrier that kept mothers out of politics.

But she is pretty much on her own. Also in Metro, business leader Sophie de Menthon points out that she would have been jailed if she had forced an employee to take maternity leave of only five days.

French law guarantees 16 weeks' minimum parental leave, ten of which are usually taken directly following the birth, and it can last as long as 26 weeks.

But labour law does not apply to ministers. Dati, who is 43-years-old, returned to work on Wednesday, as President Nicolas Sarkozy announced major judicial reforms, giving rise to press speculation that she was anxious that she might be sidelined.

Socialist Ségolène Royal is one of three French women ministers to give birth while in office.

Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon took six weeks leave after giving birth to her first child, while former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin took three days' leave from her job as Governor of Alaska when she gave birth to her son Trig last April.

The European Commission has recommended extending parental leave to 18 weeks, saying it would help families.