SONGSOPTOK: What, in your
experience, is the status of a girl child in the family? Is she treated in the
same way as the male child? If not, what are the major differences in
treatment?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: Often, the
difference already starts with the toys that are bought for a child – more
often there are toys which show the role model that they are supposed to play
in society. A girl would rather get a baby doll, or a Barbie doll, even makeup
– toys which are more shiny and pretty, or cute. A boy would rather get toys
which have something to do with their role, as well: action figures, or toy
cars, or toys with which he could buy something. But fact is, each person is an
individual. If we would concentrate more on the persons instead on the role we
suppose them to play in society, we would do far more for them than with toys
like these. At home, they would probably get different jobs to do – but in
fact, we should base these things on the person the child is, their interests,
their talents – or the things they would still have to learn for their future.
SONGSOPTOK: Does the girl
child have equal access to education in your country irrespective of economic
or social status? What are the main factors that affect the equality or inequality
of access to education?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: The gender of a
person plays no role in education – but certainly the money a person can spend
on it does. There are certain schools which someone with less money is not able
to go to, because they cost money – private schools, for instance.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think
that women, contrary to men, always have to make a choice between home life and
professional career? Is it fair either on men or women? What is your personal
experience?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: No, they don’t
always have to make a choice – but it often depends on the personal situation
within a relationship. I personally have chosen to raise my children and stay
at home, so they always would have someone to talk to after school, or someone
who could take care at once in case something happens at school so they have to
go home at once.
SONGSOPTOK: Detailed
studies have shown that there are very few women across the world who occupy
really top positions both in the private and public sectors. How do you explain
this fact? Do you think that women are less qualified to hold top jobs or are
there other explanatory factors?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I think that this
fact may have to do with the fact that women can have health problems after
having a child, also that they need a certain time to take care of their
children. It is a hard job to properly take care of children, and the access to
further qualifications is rather limited. Women often have to work hard to get
a better job with more responsibilities, while they have to take care of their
children. Because of social reasons, women who work often wait very long until
they have their first child – often, they are over 30 when they do, the average
age is rising. The need to have “everything settled” for a child seems to be
rising.
SONGSOPTOK: Even in the
advance countries in the world, there is a large disparity between the number
of men and women in political parties resulting in an under-representation of
women in governments and elected councils. Do you agree with this point of
view? What in your opinion are the main reasons?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I have to agree to this point. Often, when a woman reaches a
certain age, when they have children, they are the ones who stay at home to
take care of the child – though the number of other family models seems to be
rising. During the time a woman raises children, she doesn’t have the time to
take care of their professional career, so it is simply much harder to reach
better positions.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think a
larger participation and presence of women in all domains – economic, social
and political- are actually required? Would it substantially improve the nature
and quality of services and make the society a better place?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I think that a
more open-minded treatment, a more fair regulation for persons staying at home
to take care of children, would be something we should work on, generally. I
think the number of women doing certain jobs is not so important – but we
should get more used to look at a person, instead of first seeing their gender.
Persons are individuals, and each person has a different set of talents. It may
be talents that might not even fit into our general thinking of what a girl is
able to do, or a boy. So we need to try and see talents without putting them
into a certain role. If we could handle them like this, indeed certain problems
might get to be less.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you think
that for women the choice of a career and that of a family life with children
should be mutually exclusive? Do you think that women who opt for both are not
totally successful in either sphere? What is your own experience?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: This depends on
the relationship they have, on their personal situation, on their partner… I
generally think that there should be more possibilities to find individual
solutions for the different situations. My experience is that a woman who gets
full support of her partner has fewer difficulties to face than a woman who has
no partner, or whose social environment is not supporting her. But there is
also the fact, that the time that is needed to raise the children, is not
supported socially as much as it should be.
SONGSOPTOK: What is your
opinion about the role played by the mother in bringing up children? Do you
think that mothers should take more responsibility for the well-being of the
children more than the father given that other than breast feeding, almost
every other responsibility can be equally shared between the parents? Please
explain your answer.
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I think that the
responsibility for children should be shared between the parents – as far as
possible. It always depends on the personal situation, the individual set of
talents. Some men have more talents which are needed to take care of children,
than a woman might have. On the other hand, each could have about equal
qualification, or the woman could have more qualification. There should be room
for each possibility.
SONGSOPTOK: “Women have
been called queens for a long time, but the kingdom given them isn't worth
ruling” said famous American writer Louisa M Alcott. Do you agree? What, in
your perception, is the kingdom given to women?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I don’t see that
a kingdom was given to women. Someone staying at home has a very hard job
organizing all the necessities. It is more taking care of the needs of everyone
than ruling anything.
SONGSOPTOK: Do you agree
that professional women have to work at least twice as hard as men to attain
credibility in her chosen career? What is your personal experience? Do you
think that it is a rule rather than an exception? What in your opinion needs to
be done to bring greater equality in the workplace?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: Women generally
have to prove – generally more than a man would have to – that they really
deserve the position they have in jobs. Especially if they are working in a job
which is – according to the role model – more “fitting” for a man. Generally we
should get over these role models, and see the persons as they really are –
with all their talents. I think, this could make a real change.
SONGSOPTOK: Women who choose to be
‘homemakers’ often feel that they are not respected by society in general since
they do not go out to earn money, though they probably have to work harder and
for longer hours. Would you agree? What needs to be done to really valorize the
homemakers?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I have to agree -
many people don’t see the hard work that needs to be done at home, the work
that is more… Persons seem to get evaluated by the money they earn when they
work. Since a person working at home for their family doesn’t get paid, others
seem to look down to what they do. I think the least that could be done, would
be give them similar social securities.
SONGSOPTOK: On the other hand, working
women very often have to juggle their professional and personal lives to be
perfect both at home and at the workplace. What is your personal experience? Do
you think that a woman really have to be perfect in both spheres or is this
idea self-imposed? In your society, what is expected of working women?
BRITTA HOFFMANN: I think that it depends on the set of talents of both partners
in a relationship. Generally no one has to be perfect in everything they do. We
all have weaknesses, with which we need to learn to get along, on which we can
work. What is coming out, always depends on the personal situation. But I have
also seen, that many women who work seem to suffer from the great pressure that
they experience, because they want to be perfect in both – because they
themselves, or older family members seem to expect this. I believe that each
person deserves to be supported by their social environment – especially by
their family.
POET. LIVES IN GERMANY
We sincerely thank you
for your time and hope we shall have your continued support.
Aparajita Sen:
Editor, Songsoptok.)
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