Opinion: Editor's view

Life for working mothers is never going to be simple or easy, but thecurrent economic conditions are piling on the pressures in sometimescontradictory ways.

As our Analysis article by Helen Penn shows (see pages 10-11), a recentinternational conference organised by the Czech EU presidency revealed agrowing movement wanting to keep women at home. Its backers want toeradicate the progress made towards sexual equality at work and couldgain ground in the UK if the Conservatives come to power.

Our current Labour government is still putting the emphasis on gettingmothers out to work, but at the same time opting out of agreements suchas the flexible working directive that would benefit family life andchildren's well-being.

And our news story on page 4 uncovers a significant trend for babies tobe entering daycare much younger than ever because their mothers areunder financial pressure to return to work earlier and are afraid thatthey will be first in line to lose their jobs if they are not seen to berushing back.

This reverses the move in recent years for mothers to take up improvedmaternity leave. A high-earning mother cannot transfer her leave to thechild's father, either.

If mothers are to go back to work happily, and with the best results forthem and their children, we need more protection of employment rightsand more flexibility. We also need enough high-quality, affordablechildcare.

For an illustration of what turning back the clock would do, see ourstory about the dramatised version of 'Can Any Mother Help Me?, set whenintelligent, talented women had little alternative but to give up jobsand stay at home.