Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family by Anne-Marie Slaughter

"Unfinished Business: Women, Men, Work, Family" by Anne-Marie Slaughter is an exploration of how gender equality in the workplace and family can be achieved. Her thought-provoking book outlines the ways in which our current system is broken and suggests tangible steps we can take towards creating a fairer and more equitable system to benefit all genders.

Slaughter begins by exploring the limitations placed upon working women and men by gender-based expectations. She argues that despite the strides we have made in gender equity, the gender roles that have been long established continue to exclude women from many careers and limit their opportunities for advancement. Furthermore, these gender roles are perpetuated in the workplace by a lack of flexibility and understanding of parenting responsibilities and household tasks, leaving a heavy burden on women to do both unpaid labor and paid work if they are to pursue their ambitions.

In her exploration of the workplace, Slaughter goes beyond the labor force to examine the societal pressures and hierarchies that perpetuate gender inequality. She argues that traditional concepts of the workplace and the family structure are outdated and need to be re-examined in order to create a more equitable system. In her opinion, society needs to move beyond the notion that women must do everything at home in order to be successful professionally, and men must be the breadwinners to fulfill their familial roles.

Slaughter suggests that creating a fairer and more equitable system must start with the government, which should strive to create paid leave policies and provide financial support for families, in addition to enforcing and punishing discriminatory practices in the workplace. Furthermore, she believes that there needs to be a shift in the way we look at and talk about gender roles in society, so that men and women are both seen as equally capable and valuable in the workplace and family.

The last part of the book is devoted to practical steps that employers, workplaces, and families can take to create and enforce a fairer and more equitable environment. Slaughter emphasizes the importance of employers valuing women's work, offering flexible work schedules and parental leave policies, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and addressing issues such as harassment and unconscious bias. In addition, she also offers practical advice for families on how to create a more equitable division of labor, childcare, and breadwinning.

In her groundbreaking book, Anne-Marie Slaughter lays out an ambitious but achievable plan for how companies, organizations, and families can work together to bring about real, lasting gender equality. She makes a strong case that our current gender roles are unfair and outdated and outlines steps that are necessary to create a fairer and more equitable system for everyone. By understanding the nuances of gender dynamics and proposing tangible steps to promote equal opportunities, Unfinished Business is essential reading for those striving for a better world for women and men.