Can Women Have It All?

Two years ago, out of curiosity, I attended a Women in Business event, where the central theme seemed to be, “women can have it all.” Listening to female entrepreneurs discuss how they managed to balance having kids and raising a family while building a business was an inspiration, and sparked an entrepreneurial drive in me.

Like many other women in business, I ponder how I want the chance to bring my ideas to reality through starting my own businesses, but also how I want to have children one day; in short, you can say I want to “have it all.” It’s a scary prospect, to think about how I could possibly manage this one day, especially considering how risky starting up a business is for anybody, period. In an age where everything is becoming political, it’s no surprise that gender equality, an issue that’s always been political, has become more political than ever. Of course, I’m talking about the proposed tax reforms, in which the consultation period has ended.

If these tax changes go forward, it might get harder for women to have it all. As a female engineering graduate specializing in entrepreneurship and strategy, coming across this LinkedIn post by a female engineer and business owner hit me hard. As Bonnie Swift explains, for a woman, being able to have a passive income stream to support herself, or even to pay for somebody to temporarily take over the business, while you take she’s on maternity leave is invaluable. The almost-impossible challenge of having it all is made realizable for many women this way. However, how would you react if you’re “having it all” was taxed at 73%? The medical field, which has become increasingly female over the years, is especially up in arms about these tax changes. Female physicians have given their take on the proposed tax changes, and you can check out their stories via this Canadian Medical Association playlist.

In 2015, many young women were captivated by Trudeau’s famous three words uttered, when asked why he appointed a gender-balanced cabinet: “Because it’s 2015.” Well in 2017, I think there’s nothing more empowering to women than the ability to achieve success in business because they are brilliant businesswomen, not because of their gender. Myself, as well as other contributors on Story of a Tory are opposed to quotas, despite identifying ourselves as feminists. Are we mistaken in our version of feminism?

Feminism to me means going beyond just throwing feminist one-liners at female entrepreneurs in the name of female empowerment. It means giving women the dignity and freedom to make their own decisions, and trusting them with their own fulfillment and happiness. Don’t only invest in women, but allow women to invest in themselves. While we’re talking about freedom, this also includes the decision to give up on external career opportunities to support her partner’s business ventures. A stay-at-home mother who gives up her own career opportunities to support her family is no less as bad-ass as a female entrepreneur. After all, an entrepreneur who achieved success through putting in over 80 hours of work a week has a lot to be thankful for this kind of woman.

In all, I would personally want to be given a fighting chance in a competitive marketplace, and I want it to be a result of my own business success and ability to save. The beauty about the idea of liberty in feminism is seeing women as strong, capable, and as agents of their free choice. Certainly, Trudeau is correct in recognizing the fact that there is still a long way to go in achieving true gender equality, but he seems to forget that measures like extending maturity leave does nothing for female entrepreneurs that contribute so much to our economy. More than that, Bill Morneau seems to have no problem implying that female entrepreneurs and physicians are tax cheats. So very feminist.

It has been the same general message repeatedly over the last little while: “we are trying to make the richest Canadians pay their fair share.” Well, sorry, but this aspiring female entrepreneur is not part of the 1%, nor do I have any intention of being a tax cheat in the future. I am just a business student with a notebook of ideas, wanting to see if I can have it all one day, and this tax unfairness won’t help with that.

Can women have it all? I suppose we’ll be seeing soon.

Originally posted on Story of a Tory.