Two Cities MP, Nickie Aiken believes women should not have to make a choice between having a career or raising a family and spoke out in the House of Commons in support of the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill brought by Dan Jarvis MP and backed by Government.
The Bill, which passed its Second Reading on Friday and goes onto Committee Stage, provides guarantees to pregnant women that they will not be dismissed during or shortly after pregnancy, building on protections already in place.
Speaking in the House, Nickie said,
"I welcome this Bill. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is so important because many women are putting off having babies until later in life? When I had my first child at 35, the average age in the Chelsea and Westminster hospital was 39. That means women are further on in their careers, and a Bill of this type will support women who are further into their careers as well as those who may be at the beginning."
Responding, Dan Jarvis MP, said,
"That is an excellent point that has attracted support from right across the Chamber. The hon. Lady is absolutely right. We must make sure that women are making decisions about their professional careers without having to weigh up all sorts of factors of unfairness. There must be a level playing field and we must make sure that women are not disadvantaged in the workplace, so I completely agree with her and very much hope this Bill will go some way to achieving that ambition."
