Paloma Faith has claimed that women “can’t have it all” due to men's failure to use their “initiative” when it comes to parenting.
The How To Leave A Man singer, 42, split from husband Leyman Lahcine after 10 years in 2022 and has spoken openly of her struggles to balance co-parenting their two daughters, aged seven and three, with her music career.
Speaking in an interview to promote new book MILF, the former The Voice judge said the biggest challenge facing working mothers is society's “expectation of women” and fathers' inability to take on the “what are assumed to be some feminine qualities in the household”.
She said that having to “delegate” to the father of her children is a “full-time” job in itself, which she has to manage alongside parenting and working.
“I don't believe we can have it all,” she told the Radio Times.
“I feel a bit disgruntled about society's expectation on women, because we were given this idea that you could work and have your own money and independence while raising children,” she continued.
“What we've ended up with is far too much responsibility, and I think a lot of women are burning out.
“Parenting is a full-time job. If you're also CEO of your own business, like I am, then I'm meant to delegate to my partner, but that's a full-time job because they've not got any initiative.”
She added: “It's exhausting and you sacrifice something, always.”
Faith’s latest remarks come after she caused outrage earlier this month when she said “I don’t like the word co-parent”.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine, she explained: “I don't like the word ‘co-parent’ because ‘co’ implies to me that it's 50/50 and I don't believe it ever is.
“Unless, there are some anomalies, and there are men who write to me who are like, ‘I don't like the fact you say that’ and there are definitely some men pulling the main bulk of the work, but in majority of cases, the kind of unspoken silent mental load that a mother does and usually timewise, it's not 50/50 either.
“I'm not saying that I don't think that my children's father is amazing but I think it's quite important that we acknowledge what's actually happening, which is that women are doing too much.
“So I don't use the word ‘co-parent’, I say ‘oh my kids go to their dad’s a few nights a week’ and I'm so happy that they do that and that they've got a lovely father, but let's not over compliment them because they do get that all the time… Let’s not over applaud them for actually parenting.”
Co-parenting advocate Aaron Dale hit back, saying that while he “appreciates” Faith’s perspective and agrees mothers should be recognised for their “significant and often unspoken contributions”, he thinks she’s missing the real point.
He told the Standard: “I appreciate the perspective shared about the realities of parenting roles. It's important to recognise the significant and often unspoken contributions that mothers make. However, it's also crucial to remember that co-parenting is about collaboration and focusing on what's best for the child.”
