Football referee Mark Clattenburg has faced a backlash after he said that women referees must choose between pregnancy or a career.
In an interview with TalkSport, Mr. Clattenburg said that women must make a “choice”.
“The problem with women”, he said, is that “they have a difficult pathway if they get pregnant during their refereeing career – it can stop them a long way. So, they have to make this choice: do they want to be pregnant, or do they want to be referees?”
His comments were met with criticism. Janie Frampton, the Football Association’s former head of refereeing, said that Mr. Clattenburg’s comments were mistaken, ignoring the achievements of sportswomen with children.
Ms. Frampton said: “When you look at the statistics, of all the top women [referees] in the EFL and Premier League, all but one have got children – and they’ve made it, and we’ve had some amazing stories.
“We had one woman who had a caesarean in the middle of April for her first child, and then passed the men’s fitness test at the end of July.
“These are the stories that should be highlighted, about these committed and determined women.”
Mr. Clatternburg has since apologised for his comments, stating that more should be done to support mothers in refereeing careers.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “Women should be supported in their careers. No woman should ever have to choose between her baby or a career.
“Pro-abortion, anti-motherhood culture often tells women that they cannot achieve their dreams without abortion. But this is wrong. We must push back against this harmful narrative.
“We know that babies don’t ruin dreams. Employers and societies that don’t support women will ruin dreams. With the right support, a woman can achieve the best for herself and her child.”
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