The Invisible Village: Celebrating the Unsung Women Behind Working Moms

“It takes a village to raise a child”—a phrase we toss around so easily, as if the village is always ready, waiting, and willing. But for today’s working women, the village is not just bigger – it’s more invisible, more complex, and, frankly, more underappreciated than ever.

Let’s talk about the default caretaker myth. In our patriarchal setup, we’ve quietly built a system where a woman’s mother or mother-in-law is expected to step in when she returns to work. It’s almost as if, the moment a woman becomes a mother, her own mother (or her partner’s) is handed a silent contract: “You’re on duty now.” But here’s the uncomfortable question- did the grandmother really want to be that caretaker, or was she simply conditioned by generations of expectation?

I see it all the time, even among high-profile professionals: women who take a sabbatical when their daughters are pregnant, mothers who fly across continents for months to “help out.” Sometimes it’s love. Sometimes it’s duty. Often, it’s both. But where’s the line between choosing to be there and feeling obligated? Are we celebrating their support, or are we perpetuating a cycle where women’s time and agency are always negotiable, always available for the next generation?

And what happens when that “default” isn’t available? In my case, neither my mother nor my mother-in-law was alive when I delivered my children. My village looked different. It was the maids: the quiet, steady women who cared for my toddlers when they were sick and I had to rush to work. They became mothers-in-disguise, the invisible hands that held my family together when I couldn’t. I say it proudly: behind my success are so many women—maids, nannies, helpers—whose names may never appear in a family tree, but whose impact is woven into every achievement.

We need to broaden our idea of the village. It’s not just grandmothers and in-laws. It’s the women who show up every day, sometimes out of love, sometimes out of necessity, often out of sheer resilience. It’s the paid caregivers, the friends who step in, the neighbors who keep an eye out, and yes, the women who sacrifice their own ambitions, sometimes by choice, sometimes because society never gave them another option.

Let’s start giving credit where it’s due. Let’s celebrate every woman who stands behind a working mom’s success, whether she’s family by blood, by choice, or by circumstance. The invisible village is real, and it’s time we saw it, valued it, and—most importantly—supported it.

Universal Love and Abundance,

Dr.CeeVee

(Dr. CeeVee is the pen name of Dr. Chandra Vadhana R, Founder of SheSight Magazine and ShePowerClub

A serial entrepreneur, social innovator, academic, and advocate for sustainability. She writes regularly about the intersection of business, technology, and social impact. Connect with her insights on LinkedIn and follow her journey at Shesight.

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