Get A Bachelor Degree In “Professional Mothering”

Feminists have long complained that being a mother is a full-time job and that the man-hours spent in the home are not counted by economists.

Now women can get bachelor degrees in professional mothering from The University College for Mothering and Family Science, located in the United Arab Emirates.

There is concern in the country that a heavy reliance on housekeepers means that the children are being raised by foreign maids, and not by their parents. Government Ministers have even said publicly that this will erode the culture of the tiny country. However, with hardly any other childcare options available, this is often the only way women can balance their work and family responsibilities.

“Motherhood is a profession which needs to be studied,” said Dr Nizar al Ani, the director of the university.

“On average, there is a minimum of two maids per household in the UAE. This dependency is dangerous, and we need to raise awareness among women on such matters by preparing and educating them. By preparing women with the right tools to create a healthy family, we will overcome such problems.”

The four year course is accredited by the Ministry of Education. The women are taught grooming, personal fitness, cooking, home decoration, their rights as a wife and mother, and how to raise children. The courses are not available to men.

• Graduates will be able to work in family court or other professions that might require “Family Science” expertise, according to Dr al Ani. “If a woman can find a balance between her family and job, she might be able to work. But her priority should be the family,” he said.

The local paper reported that public reaction was favourable.

“We do not need colleges teaching women how to apply makeup,” said Dr Rima Sabban, assistant professor of sociology at Zayed University, also located in the country.

“I’d say it confines the role of the woman to purely taking care of the house and bringing up children. It also makes the family and its failure her sole responsibility.”

Parenting is a field not much examined in the Middle East, where the traditional realms of women are often considered beneath study. If the school were actually able to investigate families in the UAE there would be some fascinating findings.

The school is paid for by private investors, but I’m sure the government is happy. This is a nice way to increase the number of women in the country with bachelor degrees, without having to worry about them getting silly ideas in their pretty little heads.