Sir, – I was dismayed to see a picture of Facebook millionaire Sheryl Sandberg illustrating an article about women returning to work following extended absence ("Mind the gap: getting back to work after an extended absence", April 3rd).
My disappointment is in part due to Ms Sandberg’s obvious disregard for the role of a full-time mother. She regularly touts that one can “have it all” by working in excess of 40 hours a week, while also being a full-time mother. Perhaps I should be a little relieved that she was only quoted once in the article. The complex issue of women returning to work is about more than a woman “preparing herself”.
Even disregarding the obvious unsuitability of the traditional (patriarchal) workplace to a working mother’s needs, women at the top – with their au pairs, private Montessori schools and personal assistants – preach a kind of “feminism” which is entirely useless to the majority of women who want to excel in the workplace. – Yours, etc,
MAURA Mac NALLY
Dublin 15.