But, Raven mothers will be Raven mothers

The Germans may have thought they made one major step towards empowering their women by bringing in a quota, but the “raven mothers” of Germany beg to differ. Maybe Germany needs societal fix before Legislative fix? Raven Mothers are mothers who choose to work full-time, said to be “shirking” off familial duties and duties towards their children. In simpler terms, they are ‘bad mothers.’

Last week, the Germans legislated a quota in the top managements of their top-most companies, for women. This was one of the longest- almost inconsequential -debates that Germany was faced with, until they decided to go ahead and see for themselves if the quota will do the trick. This debate ages back to almost four years ago, when they decided instead, to pin their hopes on an organic change in dynamics. But the result was trifling, to say the least, with only 2.2 percent occupancy by women in senior-management roles.

With working mothers being the exception rather than the rule, their society, still gets thrown off on chancing upon a woman who has made that choice. The term ‘Rabenmutter’ or Raven Mother, that is almost medieval, is still thrown around with little or no restraint, as a result. There is severe stigma associated with it, there is hardly a term that is as offensive, in the German cultural lexicon. What is noteworthy is that this is a kind of verbal exchange more common amongst male and female colleagues at a workplace. This goes on to show that women are not made to feel welcome even after overcoming myriad barriers to make it to that echelon.  They are not even accepted by peers who are supposed to be like-minded, in fact, even responsible for bringing them up the ladder in the first place.

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Germany’s policies are as conflicting as the above mentioned phenomenon. On the one hand, they mandate a quota. On the other, they literally pay women not to work. While the husband enjoys Tax benefits because he is married, with children and has a stay-at-home-wife, they are also qualified for substantial child support: €184 per child per month (£160), all so that they wife can tend to her ‘first priority’ as subscribed to her by her society.

Additionally, they are granted up to three years off of work, when they have one child; and up to 7 years, on having two. A child wraps up with school at mid-day, and mothers are expected to be there with their children at lunch time, “for their healthy upbringing.” Firstly, it is hard, almost impossible for women to find jobs that would offer them these hours and this degree of flexibility. And secondly, if a women does go on a break, she finds it extremely hard to pick up where she left off, as her peers would have moved on to much senior positions, while she, when she should have been collecting credentials, was made to stay at home.

And now, with the existence of the quota, it results in ‘younger’, ‘inexperienced’, ‘lesser qualified’ being the only assortment of qualities in candidates running for senior-management posts reserved for women; and esentment builds up further against the quota.

Yet, the German frau has no option but to avail the provisions made for her by their legislature. Better Hausfrau, than Rabenmutter.