Achieving Balance in Career and Family

Demanding that women juggle household duties, family responsibilities, careers, and education creates conditions for women’s empowerment that are impossible to fulfill. Rudrani Gupta reflects on her upbringing, where academic excellence was expected alongside domestic chores, a demand not placed on her brother. She questions the rationale behind such expectations, pondering the feasibility of balancing multiple roles.

Indra Nooyi’s candid remarks about the conflicts between biological clocks, career advancements, and familial responsibilities underscore the challenges faced by women in achieving balance. Gupta questions the societal expectation for women to effortlessly manage all aspects of life, despite their human limitations.

While women may possess multitasking abilities, it’s unjust to assume they can excel in every role. Gupta applauds society’s growing acceptance of women pursuing careers but urges a broader recognition that women need support to manage both work and home effectively.

Tara Singh Vachani dismisses the notion of work-life balance for women, emphasizing the imbalance inherent in life’s different stages. Gupta highlights the societal pressure on women to avoid deviating from traditional gender roles, fearing judgment and abandonment.

Gupta calls for normalizing the idea that women, whether at home or work, have multifaceted lives. She advocates for workplace policies like maternity leave and flexible hours to support working women. Companies should not discriminate against women based on marital status but offer assistance.

Regarding household duties, Gupta stresses that perfection is unrealistic and women learn to multitask to cope. She questions why men can’t share domestic responsibilities, enabling women to find respite. Women and men are equally responsible for family care, and Gupta calls for an end to the expectation that women shoulder the burden alone.

_{Repurposed article originally published in She the People}