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An interesting debate has been raging after Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article in the Atlantic magazine was published. She left her post as policy advisor to Hilary Clinton, citing family commitments as her reason for leaving.

Noel Whelan in last Saturday’s Irish Times gave a male perspective on the issue. I welcome his input and wish that the issue of gender balance in politics was debated more as a societal issue rather than a ‘womans’ issue.

He is correct in my view that the idea that men have it all is inaccurate. Balancing work and parenting is tricky especially if one is in a demanding job. It is made all the harder if there is a need to be away from home.

When debating the caring aspects that need to be delivered I think as a society we need to think in terms of a merging of the public forum which is work and business and was previously the domain of men  and is now a mixture of both, with the private space of home and family which was the domain of women but should now also be a mixture of both.

We have in my view ‘imported’ equality from the EU without having a proper debate about what equality means. I understand it to mean that we are supported to have the capacity to participate fully in a good society which includes in the world of work, the political forum and the home environment as well.