UN Women may be dedicated to the empowerment of women, but apparently, that only applies to their positions in the workplace. According to the UN entity, our most important job—that of motherhood—is considered a penalty.
“Not every woman can afford the penalty. #WomensProgress2019 #FamiliesOfToday,” they tweeted with a graphic depicting all the ways being a mother is a penalty—on Christmas day, no less.
Not every woman can afford the penalty.#WomensProgress2019 #FamiliesOfToday pic.twitter.com/86DxuKJedJ
— UN Women (@UN_Women) December 25, 2019
Issued by “P. Atriarchy,” and enforced since the “beginning of time”—the penalty of motherhood includes: “more unpaid care and domestic work; irregular work; reduced employment; limited maternity benefits; gender-based occupational segregation; gender pay gaps; and higher rates of poverty in older age.”
Being a mother is the most important—and rewarding—job in the world. It’s the greatest blessing God has given us. And as one Twitter user pointed out, it should never be reduced to “simple economic factors.” Others chimed in to express their "disgust" over the tweet.
Taking care of your CHILD is not "unpaid care and domestic work." It's motherhood.
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) December 25, 2019
Go home UN, you're drunk. https://t.co/OVbQudv1Hs
1. That's being a mom.
— Trace XL (@Trace_XL) December 25, 2019
2. Kids are work, deal with it.
3. For a few months, yes, then you adjust.
4. Based on your career choices, yes.
5. ... what does that even mean?
6. Nope, debunked a million times. You CHOOSE your income.
7. Again, based on choices. Budget and save.
I’m actually disgusted that you would call motherhood a “penalty” and act like it’s not the greatest blessing and the most important thing a woman can do with their life. Get bent, UN. https://t.co/DjYbroH8zL
— Cassandra Fairbanks ?? (@CassandraRules) December 25, 2019
If you didn’t know before, you know now. The UN is garbage. “Motherhood Penalty” https://t.co/DOijc3WmIs
— Matt Miller (@M_Miller12) December 25, 2019
The gender pay gap is a lie, men tend to fill better paying...but more dangerous positions and also volunteer for more overtime...you know, to help support the women that are often home full time with their kids.
— Mindy Robinson ???? (@iheartmindy) December 25, 2019
You are leftist propaganda.
This is sadistic. To minimize motherhood to simple economic factors.
— Thaun (@Thaun84) December 25, 2019
— Raina's World (@rainas_world) December 25, 2019
UN Women's Christmas tweet is not the first time the entity has spoken about a "motherhood penalty." For Mother's Day in 2015, it published an infographic using data from its report, "Progress of the World's Women 2015-2016: Transforming economies, realizing rights," which "tracks the gender gap in lifetime income, labour force participation rates, paid leave and legal reform around the world."
In that graphic, it said motherhood (referred to as “unpaid care”) and domestic responsibilities “impacts [women’s] opportunities for quality paid work,” thus suggesting that parenting is an inferior job.