By Amber Milne
LONDON, Feb 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In a leap
year, Feb. 29 is traditionally the day women propose marriage to
men - but should women use the extra day to ask their bosses,
not their partners, for more?
With businesses offering women planning to pop the question
on Saturday everything from free hotel rooms to gold pizza
cufflinks, some women think female employees should use the
additional day to become co-owners of the firms where they work.
"It presents a great opportunity to encourage women in the
profession to change their mindset and actively ask their boss
if a partnership is a possibility," said Kerrie Hedley of
XLVets, which encourages female practice ownership.
"It's the sort of proposal that will have a big impact on
their future and we'd love to see more women take the driving
seat," said Hedley, chief operating officer at the network of
independent vets.
The origin of why women traditionally propose on leap year
is unclear, although some attribute it to an Irish nun who
wanted to take the pressure off shy male suitors.
Others say Queen Margaret of Scotland introduced a law in
the 16th century which would see men fined for refusing a
woman's hand - although there is no record of it.
Several high profile women have proposed to their partners
on Feb. 29, including U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth
Warren and actress Kristen Bell who proposed on Twitter.
For other women planning to take the leap, Papa Johns pizza
parlour is giving away a pair of 18-carat gold pizza-style
cufflinks as an incentive and Iceland's Hotel Ranga will offer a
night's free stay.
Women currently earn about half as much as men and equality
in the workplace is more than 200 years away, according to the
World Economic Forum, despite increasing scrutiny of employers
around the globe.
"People know about the gender pay gap ... but I actually
think that women are still not having these conversations," said
Tamara Gilian, founder of The WealthiHer Network, a group of
female financiers who help women grow their wealth.
Making Feb. 29 a day when women propose to their bosses,
rather than their partners, could give more women confidence,
said Gilian, although she stressed that women should feel
comfortable proposing a raise on any day.
"Having a moment where we put some focus on it and use this
as an opportunity to go in and own your value and propose, I
think it's a brilliant idea," she told the Thomson Reuters
Foundation.
"That's a hugely interesting thing that many organisations
would get behind and we certainly would."
(Reporting by Amber Milne; Editing by Katy Migiro. Please
credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of
Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the
world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)