Jenny Watson, who chairs the EOC, was reported in the Guardian last December to be calling for new laws and saying: "For many women, sex equality is a thin veneer which vanishes as soon as they take on caring responsibilities. We need to make more of women's talents and skills and prevent them from being channelled into low paid, part-time work below their potential." This prompted me to write the following poem, as my contribution to National Poetry day! : Brain Drain I worked hard at school, liked my education It wasn't really about getting qualification Won my job, in fair competition Then knackered myself for every promotion For more than two years I worked hard every day My job is my job, you can't take it away. But now I'm a Mum and you think it's OK To allow bits of my job to go astray I've proved it before, so it's mad to imply I can't work with your customers properly I can't do politics, strategic song and dance? How would you know, you won't give me a chance? I'm still a good worker, I love to learn And besides, I need the wage that I earn Now you give me less work, you're not so sure That I'm 'good value' in my role any more; So yes, I'm furious, I've a right to be I can see how this all ends in redundancy! Do I raise a grievance, claim constructive dismissal? Or will I be seen as One Who Makes Trouble? I want to fight back, but I want this to end Because I don't know what's around the next bend Don't want to work far away, so I shut down And keep what's left for me in this town. Just do the minimum, enough to get paid Die of boredom with the brain drain brigade!