LETTER : Daughters at work are here to stay

From Mr Greg Parston

Sir: I would like to address Maggie Brown's objections to Take Our Daughters to Work Day (Diary, 3 May).

Girls and boys need to think harder and aim higher when choosing careers, but the things that stand in the way of achieving those heights are different for each. For girls, lowering confidence through early teenage years and the pressure to succumb to the dictates of glamour need challenging. On Take Our Daughters to Work Day, thousands of employers and hundreds of thousands of girls helped clear some of these misconceptions. For boys, who were also encouraged to learn about these issues in schools on the day, there are challenges, too, and many other days and ways to explore their special needs. The reason that the day took place in term time was no accident: The National Curriculum Council believes that Take Our Daughters to Work Day actually enhances the national curriculum.

I hate to disappoint Ms Brown, but Take Our Daughters to Work Day is here to stay: over a quarter of a million daughters and thousands of employers took part this year - and the feedback we have received has been great.

Yours faithfully,

GREG PARSTON

Our Daughters Charitable Trust

London, W2

3 May