Mommy track

A term used to describe the lifestyle of women who choose to leave the workforce (typically in white collar career positions) in order to pursue childbearing. This is the converse of the Fast Track, where one devotes considerable energy to career building.

This is a source of considerable political and social discussion. The two main points of view can be described as thus:

1) Women are discriminated against for choosing to have children and society should force private enterprises to make allowances for childbearing. These typically include job protection, wage protection, child care, time off for birthing and pregnancy, and increased medical coverage.

2) Having children is a lifestyle choice as birth control and family planning are fully controllable by individuals. Nor should businesses be forced to pay wages and salaries to those that haven't earned them by putting forth the time and effort that others have done.  Also, such desired benefits are an undue burden on companies with insufficient revenue to fully implement them, nor is it prudent for gender politics to be legislated to benefit the whims of a small, but vocal, lobbying group.

Sources on the Internet

 * Fast Track and the Mommy Track
 * Revisiting the Mommy Track
 * The Postfeminist Mommy Track
 * Fast Company
 * The Family Leave Act