No, this post is not about Hilary Clinton or Sarah Palin. No doubt they have been high up on the ladder and are finding it tough to reach the highest rungs and there have been many around the world who have been there; this post is about the daily struggles of a career woman and what she faces on an average day in her struggle to hang on to the ladder.
September 7th is Working Mother’s Day (Oh yes, I got to know about it recently too), it is time to pay tribute to all working mothers you know and realize that is tough being one.
Recently a couple of my friends have left full time office jobs after struggling with work life balance with two kids at home. It is not uncommon to see such a scenario all throughout the globe these days. And of course comebacks to the workplace are also on the rise as women realize that their ‘job’ at home is well done when the kids grow up and not as dependent as during their infant/toddler stages. I emphasize here again; Women have a major role in shaping the society and the future, if the employers have to help in building a better future for us all the power of choice in employment must be available to every working mother. To attain freedom and satisfaction in life– flexibility at work and family life is a must.
This post is an inspiration from a recent article/discussion on BBC
.. an excerpt here:
How can women break the “glass ceiling” at work?
The number of women reaching the top of their profession has fallen, according to a new report. Do women still face discrimination when going for top jobs?
Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the number of women holding senior posts in areas including politics, the law and the media has fallen. In 12 of 25 job of the job categories looked at there were fewer women in the top jobs.The commission blames the culture of long working hours and inflexible working practices for discouraging women who want to work and raise a family. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said that a “firmer approach” is needed to help women reach the top on merit.
Some very interesting comments are here and it sure is a relevant discussion. One that resonates with my thoughts was, “Rearing children is a full time job, being top dog is full time plus…”
As we have discussed before on this topic it sure is a personal decision whether to be a career woman or not and it is certainly not a debatable topic on who is right; it is a matter of personal choice and family requirement. However I feel that many women feel ‘confined’ or ‘unproductive’ being a full time homemaker and need an outlet to their creativity and talent, the best choice for women who want to have it all would be a part-time job that satisfies then being at work and doing what they love to do and also contributing to the finances of the home and enjoying the freedom to be with kids when need them the most – either at the infant stage or at their teens.
Quoting an article in CNN here:
Job or family first?
Women like Freire often struggle with balancing professional and parental obligations, says Steven Nock, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia.
“We haven’t quite figured out how to arrange our lives so that both partners are working full-time and still have time to have a family life,” he says.
Nock found that wives rated their marital quality as higher when husbands were the primary earners, according to a study published in 2006 that he co-authored. Notably, he says, their dissatisfaction was due to the lack of time they had to devote to their children.
“Since most parents still give the female most of the responsibility for family care and child rearing… (it’s) difficult for the women working full-time to manage what they want to do as mothers,” he says.Elise Ackerman in an article in the San Jose Mercury News quotes a new research from the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology and Stanford University.
The study, which sought to determine why there are so few high-ranking female engineering managers, found women face the greatest barriers to advancement when they are in mid-career. Based on a survey of 1,795 men and women at seven unidentified hardware and software companies, the study found that “advancement in today’s high-tech workforce culture can come at the cost of family and health.” Another survey found that 52 percent of women trained as scientists, engineers or technologists left their jobs. To retain more technical women, the Borg study recommended that companies offer more flexible schedules, as well as opportunities for professional development on company time.
Well I did say this post is now about Sarah Palin or Hilary Clinton but just cannot refrain from commenting on a recent article on Wall Street Journal titled “Let’s talk about Palin’s Family Challenges” by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. They say here, “We want to work but we also want quantity time, as well as quality time, with our children. most of us no longer buy the onwards-and-upwards drive to the corner office (or in Mrs. Palin’s case, the West Wing) at the cost of a fragmented family like.”. Oh well agree many women do not want it but the ones that we want to see on the top positions have to have “something else” than the woman next door. We are not demanding super human strengths from those at the West Wing but of course they have and do rise above the natural call of the family life to contribute more to the nation.
For those others of course we want balance in life having more time with family but you have to keep in mind the word “balance” it is not about having it all it is how you match your priorities at present to your lifestyle and choices.
How do you feel about being a career woman and what would be the best balanced solution for you?
Related Posts:
Why Women MUST Work
The Choice and Freedom to Work on a Flexible Schedule
Balancing Career and a Growing Family – Can a Working Mother make her Life Easier
Is the Second Income worth it?
Is a Career Woman Happier than a Stay at Home Mom?
Healthy Neighborhood Connection Helps a Working Mother
Flexible Work Schedule for Women
Best Companies for Working Mothers – How do you define the “Best” here?