Challenges of social and family working women
For eons, the role of a mother has remained constricted to the idea of a nurturer and a caretaker. She has not only been restricted to the domestic space of a household but has also been endowed with the responsibilities of taking care of her family and raising a child. Irrespective of her capabilities and her desire to shine in the public domain, she has led a quiet life playing the role conferred upon her by society.
However, with the changing times and regardless of all the prejudices they still face in their day-to-day lives, working mothers have started to take over the professional world and are seen thriving in many arenas of work. That being said, although the number of working women has considerably increased in recent times, the problems faced by the same women have become a reigning public issue.
To be precise, here are some of the common challenges faced by working mothers along with a few ways and means to overcome them.
– Inability to maintain a work-life balance – For a mother, working full-time can be extremely tedious and exhausting. Besides having to handle their professional work, they also have to tend to their household chores and look after their kid. This drastically affects their work-life balance and takes a toll on their emotional as well as mental health.
– Constant grapple with guilt – Mothers are truly one of a kind. While an individual, have dreams and aspirations, according to societal norms, as mothers, they must also be the sole nurturers in the family. This is why there is a constant and ceaseless feeling of guilt that remains in the conscience of all mothers, where if they choose their careers over their homes, they are placed in a questionable position.
– A rift between passion and obligation – Daring to dream and being ambitious are two aspects of human nature. But considering a working mother must also tend to the needs of her family, there is always an underlying conflict between what she wants and what she must do.
– Priorities are questioned – There is a great disparity between how we look at working men and working women. While men have always worked in the public domain, their sense of responsibility towards their family is limited to the role of a breadwinner as opposed to the role of women as the house-makers. Therefore, once women step into the professional world their sense of commitment to their families is often questioned and their priorities need to be set right away.
– Never-ending efforts to multitask – Another common challenge faced by working women is the constant need to multitask. Whether they are working at the office or from home, they must constantly tackle their time between their personal and professional life.
– No time for ‘Self’- A working woman, while performing the role of the mother and a professional, forgets to invest any time in herself. There is no recreation period for them, even when they are on work leave. It’s either this or that. There is just no time for oneself.
– The need to be perfect all the time – Well, surely working women are the modern-day representation of a superwoman, however, they cannot be perfect all the time. Societal expectations and the need to be perfect all the time can sometimes take a great toll on mothers, especially the ones who are also working.
Ways to overcome such challenges
While it may seem extremely difficult to break away from the troubles of being a working mother as well as a full-time mother, there is always a solution to tackle these situations in life. That being said, if you’re a working mom and are facing similar challenges, here are a few ways you can overcome them with just some extra effort.
– Organize and plan your work for the day beforehand so that you can manage your time efficiently.
– Make sure to develop a relationship, where your partner or your husband acknowledges his role as a parent too and puts in the same effort you do in taking care of the family.
– Maintain cordial relationships with your relatives and siblings so that you can approach them easily in times of emergency.
– Make sure that your colleagues and superiors know the importance of your child and your family so that in times of urgency they understand your situation.
– Most importantly, you must understand the value of your own dreams and ambitions. While motherhood may be the most wonderful blessing known to womankind, it is surely not the end of your individuality.
– By Tenzin Chodon