by Arrey Echi

Created on: May 21, 2010   Last Updated: May 22, 2010

Family and work are greatly entwined in the lives of most if not all women. While men are considered the primary bread winners of the family, women are often seen as the nurturers and home managers. As such, they may not have a choice when it concerns work and family. Why could this be the case? There are many reasons and view points some of which are discussed below.

Any woman today, be she an executive or a stay-at-home mum always have their plates full to over flowing with work; be it office work or household work such as laundry, mending, cooking, bathing the kids, hospital appointments, and so on.

True, some men today can do the above but yet women are always on the long haul of it all when it comes to work and family. Unfortunately, this work output goes unnoticed and uncompensated for by the governmental authorities. Otherwise, every woman especially stay-at-home mums could also be raking in millions just by doing household chores. In this case, women don’t have a choice when it comes to work and family. They just have to work to care for their families and keep it going whatever way work might be defined, be it office work or domestic work.

Furthermore, times are changing rapidly. The ever increasing cost of living is driving many women into the work force. Many families back then were surviving just with daddy's income, but not so today. In fact, many families are barely scraping a living even with two incomes. The affluence of the world and the materialistic view promoted by adverts today is driving women to work not only one but several jobs in one go just to make ends meet and supplement their husband's income. To this group of women, there is no choice, either, but to work. The high rates and cost of court battles in divorce and custody rights is leaving many women as sole parents in the advent of single families. Thus with bills and other mounting expenses to cover, most women have no choice but to work and care for their families, or prepare for rainy days such as retirement or widowhood. 

Many girls nowadays are encouraged to have an education. Most are also staying longer in school and getting married later than previously. They are also excelling in school. Most often, it is expected that women get jobs upon completion of school to be able to compensate for the educational investment their parents invested for them to go to school. With most men today highly afraid of successful women, most of these women are forced to work to be able to care of themselves and their families and also be able to maintain a measure of independence even without the benefits of marriage.

Looking at this from another standpoint, some women may well have a choice when it concerns work and family. For instance, many, either by birth or marriage, may well have everything that may allow them to live comfortable lives without the need to work, such as heiresses. Nevertheless, many women in this category will still choose to work. Whatever the reasons, most often it is to serve as either a distraction or for personal or professional fulfillment. Others feel society could benefit from their expertise and so they work.

It is therefore possible to assume that, for some of the reasons mentioned above; most women may not have a choice when it concerns work and family. On the other hand, some women do have choices. The deciding factor that influences the choices they make could well be attributed to the circumstances and situations in which they find themselves.

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