Leading corporates of Apple and Facebook are paying $20,000 for their female employees to freeze their eggs.
Out of the 67 percent of women in the work force, 43 percent quit after the birth of their first child. According to The Atlantic, companies hope to see the statistics rise by giving women the option to beat their biological clock.
An avid user of Apple products and Facebook, sophomore Siobhan Ang disagrees with the companies’ courses of action.
“Women shouldn’t have to choose between family and work. There’s a lot of stay home dads nowadays as well as part time working moms, so people definitely have many options,” said Ang.
Senior Grace Yi considered this act an issue of equality.
“If a company offered to freeze my eggs like that, I would be so offended. I think I would quit, because that’s just poor working conditions. Freezing a women’s eggs could be painful or lead to infections, and why would anyone do that just so they can keep working? Plus, it would be unfair to the kids. Who wants a 70-year-old mom who might die before you go to college?” said Yi.
Many critics worldwide share the same view as Yi that paying women to freeze their eggs degrades their worth as human beings. According to Business Insider, women feel pressured to quit their job because they don’t feel they can keep up with their work and their family.
“This is not a solution. I want to work because I like it, and be a mom because I want to,” said Ang.
Sophomore Matthew Irwin saw the matter as an equality issue and an unethical proposition.
“In today’s society, it’s a lot easier for men to become sterile than it is for women. That’s not ever fair, so I see what Facebook is trying to do by offering women another option. But it’s still the woman’s decision. Her job cannot make the decision for her, and her family can’t make that decision for her either. It’s so degrading to women to take away the choice,” said Irwin.
Although some students stated they disagreed with what Apple and Facebook are doing, they do continue to use their products, more out of necessity than out of support.
“I’m not going to boycott against Facebook or Apple personally, because first it wouldn’t change anything, and second because I have too much stuff linked to those companies. I can’t really stop,” said Yi.
As corporate companies, Facebook and Apple have a wide range of influence on the world, but Carlmont students can voice their opinions too.
“I’m still going to use these companies’ stuff because, well everyone else does. But I do hope people realize that this is wrong and find an alternative form of technology. I hope companies will just stop doing this period.” said Irwin.
