Columnist sparks backlash for warning that ‘men are becoming more and more like women’

26 September 2022, 15:40

The result of men doing 'mothering' for 'equality'

Columnist Melissa Kite comments on paternity leave saying if more men do more 'mothering' we are left with 'men who can't change a car battery...or even put a light bulb in'.

A columnist at the Spectator, has come under fire for saying that if men do more “mothering”, we will be left with “men who can’t change a car battery or jump start a car or even put a lightbulb in for their women at home”.

Spectator columnist Melissa Kite told Nick Ferrari: “You’re a dinosaur Nick for the main reason that you’ve not got your head around the fact that men are becoming more and more like women.”

Ms Kite added: “They’re cooking and they’re cleaning and they’re really having a wonderful time doing all of that because they’ve discovered something new and they’re trying it out.”

This comes as NatWest plans to offer new dads a full paid year off work, from next year. They had previously been offered two weeks paternity leave on full pay.

From next year all new parents who work at the bank will be able to have a full year off, regardless of gender, and half of that time will be on full pay.

Ms Kite continued: “What we’re not thinking is, people are all going to end up with the same skill sets. So if more and more men take this year paternity leave and stay at home and do the mothering - which is all a wonderful idea and we’ve all got to support it in the name of equality and all of that.

"What we’re left with is men who can’t change a car battery or jump start a car or even put a lightbulb in for their women at home.”

Tweeters were quick to critique the columnist's views.