We are all Serena 🎾

Serena Williams has recently announced her 'retirement', or 'evolution' from tennis.

It is ending sooner than it would have done if she were a man, simply because she has to choose between having more children or continuing to play tennis professionally.

And she has been refreshingly open about how unfair she feels this is, and how she resents it.

Roger Federer won 5 of his grand slams after his wife had their first set of twins, and 3 after their second set of twins.

When men are asked how fatherhood has impacted their tennis it's usually in reference to how it has made them a better person, and therefore a better player. For men, it's seen as an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Men are able to continue their careers and passions without breaking their stride, but it is women who have to fall back, step off the career ladder and sacrifice their ambitions for the continutation of the species.

Is it any wonder that women's pensions at retirement in the UK are half the size of men's regardless of the sector they work in?

Even Serena Williams, who has spent her life overcoming double standards, wasn't able to overcome this one. Just like millions of women across the globe, she has had to make a stark choice: family or career.

At Lead5050 we believe workplaces need to change and we need to remove the stigma of men caring for their own children.

The Lead5050 accreditation audits organisations to see how equitable their policies and procedures are, surveys employees and produces a report to help make real changes that will address inequity.

If you're interested in hearing more about this, book a chat with us here.