The race to become first minister has exposed all manner of ugly debate, and what the future of Scotland may look like.
There was one statement, swiftly deleted by the BBC, concerning whether Kate Forbes would desire the position, prior to her discussions surrounding gay marriage.
The article stated: “But there are questions whether she would want the job too, given she is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her first child.”
One could argue that it’s an innocent remark, merely suggesting that Kate may prefer to embrace being a mum instead of chasing the lofty position of first minister.
I’ve never seen a man’s career aspirations in doubt when on paternity leave, nobody questions his commitment to the job post child.
And no one openly predicted that MSP Angus Robertson would not be running, because he has two young children and the timing is simply not right.
Now that’s progress, where a man feels he can publicly state that family life must come first.
But in the same breath, it shows the glaring gender inequality.
I am not as flexible in comparison to my counterparts who do not have children.
But less ambitious? Hell no.
I have spoken with TV presenter and media expert, Pauline Fraser, who had her first child last year, alongside a dad who took a step back from his career in order to split the load equally.
Jordan Russell: “My own dad was a house husband.”
In the run up to the birth of his first child, Jordan Russell worked overtime in a bid to be financially prepared for the new arrival.
The 29 year old scaffolder who lives in Aberdeen, has since taken a step back from his career, having asked his boss for flexible hours so he can look after his son every second Friday.
He is also the primary carer on weekends and during the evening, to enable his partner, Harley Somerville, to continue in her career as founder of Hive + Co on Holburn Street.
“Harley is a businesswoman, and we spoke about achieving 50/50 from the very beginning,” says Jordan.
“My boss was very supportive as he also has a family.
“I think a few people were surprised or shocked, but they never outright said it.
“Things have improved for our generation, but there’s still the expectation that the man’s career will not change.
“Why would I not want to spend more time with my family?
Jordan also grew up with his mum working in oil and gas during his early childhood, and his dad stayed at home.
“My dad looked after us for the first couple of years, he was a house husband and my older brother went on to do the same in Germany,” says Jordan.
“That probably influenced me in part, me and Harley have always been forward thinking.
“I don’t do overtime now unless it’s an emergency, we always agreed I would take that step back and be hands on.”
Pauline Fraser: “My career isn’t over.”
Pauline Fraser has always been ambitious, and her varied career has seen her rise on the presenting circuit alongside running her own PR company.
She had her first child last year, and hosted an event when her son was three months old.
“I continued working in the run up to the birth, my laptop came to hospital with me although I didn’t know my son would be born the next day,” says Pauline.
“I am what people refer to as an older mother, I am in my forties and I was really encouraged to have a career.
“Having a baby doesn’t mean all my experience and knowledge has disappeared overnight.
“I’m self employed and I was actually worried, that if I put it out there that I was having a baby, would clients not want to approach me?
“I may still be on maternity leave, but this is certainly not the end of my career.”
Pauline is now weighing up childcare options, and she believes many mothers cannot afford to stay at home.
“With the cost of living, staying at home isn’t always an option,” she says.
“And a lot of mums want to their career to carry on for numerous reasons; I’ve always paid my own way, it’s ingrained in my being.
“I think having a baby is going to make me more ambitious.
“Working that bit harder to prove to myself and to others, I still have that drive and that focus.
“Keeping my career always means keeping hold of a part of me.
“I want to get back to working, I want that new challenge.”
Challenging the gender bias
There are a great many male political leaders, both current and former who have children.
Rishi Sunak has two children, and Boris Johnston also became a father again whilst in office.
Promising politicians who also happen to be mothers, have started rising through the ranks in recent years.
Former PM for New Zealand, Jacinda Arden, took six weeks off before returning to her role with her new-born daughter.
The charity, Pregnant Then Screwed, has repeatedly highlighted the many obstacles women face in returning to work.
March of the Mummies protest, which took place last November, saw more than 12,000 parents across the country demand government reform on childcare, parental leave and flexible working.
