Women in history

Richard Lucas tells us that “Throughout human history women have tended to focus more on home life than men. Men have focused more on public life. This remains the case today.” (Letters, 7 August)

Throughout human history, and in countries across the globe, women have had to combine domestic work with activities outside the home. There was no distinction between the two, and in many countries this is still the case.

In hunter-gatherer societies today, women forage for plant foods with babies strapped to their backs. In some sub-saharan countries women have to walk long distances to collect water for a multitude of pur- poses. The land, rather than the factory, is their workplace.

Scottish women may have vastly different lifestyles in comparison to these women, but by glorifying the domestic input and devaluing the professional and public contribution of women to Scottish society, Mr Lucas does women a great disservice.

More importantly, he ignores the plight of women and girls in developing countries, where they are denied basic human rights, freedom, respect and dignity, let alone equality of opportunity in education, and meaningful employment.

In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, and in other so-called ‘developed’ countries, women successfully combine public and domestic life, especially when their enlightened male partners also contribute to the latter. We may have made a lot of progress over the last few decades, but there are obviously no grounds for complacency.

CAROLYN TAYLOR Wellbank, Broughty Ferry,

Dundee