Keira Knightley says only rich mums can return to work and slams ‘archaic’ maternity law
The 31-year-old London-born actress welcomed her first daughter Edie in 2015
KEIRA Knightley has blasted Britain’s “archaic” maternity laws and the “unbelievably expensive” cost of childcare.
The 31-year-old London-born actress, who welcomed her first daughter Edie in 2015, says she has become “unbelievably aware” of the difficulties faced by women who want to return to work after having kids.
Love Actually star Keira, who is rumoured to be worth £41million, said her wealth has allowed her to access “really good childcare”, but otherwise she would have had to take four years out of her career to get by.
Keira has also called for a change to make paternity leave equal to maternity, as she warns employers are still likely to discriminate against women.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she said: “I think paternity leave should be the same as maternity leave. It’s shocking. Because you need that option.
“And actually, when you’re thinking about an employer looking at a man and a woman thinking, 'Well, at some point you could take nine months or however long off, and the guy doesn’t have to.'
“Don’t tell me that that doesn’t come into it!
“You need to be a family unit, not just have the guy there for two weeks and then go back to work and the mother left desperately trying to figure it out.
“I think it’s archaic that there aren't better options.”
Keira, who married musician James Righton in 2013, said her husband is “incredibly supportive”, with their toddler daughter now displaying the energy of a “ballistic missile”.
The Chanel beauty, who will be honoured with a Theatre Icon award at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards in London on Monday evening, also slammed the cost of nurseries and childcare.
“One of the things that is so shocking in this country is that childcare is unbelievably expensive,” she said.
“It should be, it’s an amazing thing if you’re good at it. It’s incredibly difficult, it should be well paid.
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“But there is no option for a woman to go back to work unless she’s being paid really, really well and can afford full-time care before [her child can] get into nursery.”
She said of her own experience of motherhood: “I think I’ve become unbelievably aware of that and how lucky I’ve been to be able to afford really good childcare, because otherwise it would be at least four years out of my career.
“I wouldn’t be able to get back to where I’d been if I’d taken four years out.
“I think that’s the same for most women. And I think that’s really hard.”
Discussing her “post-baby body”, Keira said she didn’t try and spring “back into shape” straightaway.
“I actually went completely the opposite,” she said. “I went, ‘f*** that, I’m not putting that pressure on myself in any way.’
“So it’s taken me a long time to get back into my jeans. I’m nearly there.”
Keira rose to fame in Bend It Like Beckham before taking roles in Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go, Atonement and The Imitation Game.
She has recently taken her first role on Broadway in Thérèse Raquin.
The full interview is published in the December issue of , on sale 1 November 2016