A Study of the dilemmas faced by Working Mothers in pursuing their careers

Abstract

This study analyzes the problems that are faced by employed mothers in the Pakistani society. The paper evaluates the needs of working mothers for social supports, such as parental leave, spouse support, child care, and better wages. As observed in the Pakistani society, the environment of the corporate world poses numerous challenges for working women especially those with childcare responsibilities. This research also highlights the value of societal culture and organizational system for multinational organizations operating in Pakistan. Researches previously conducted give the foundation to establish what is expected of a good Human Resource system which promotes the induction of talented and qualified individuals and establishes healthy equal employment opportunities in an environment that encourages use of education and experience of women and hence allows concluding where these companies are experiencing a shortfall. The paper also emphasizes on the importance of providing equal opportunity of work to women. Since Pakistan has a culture of male dominance, organizations sometimes ignore the importance and add to the difficulties in a working mother‟s life. This not only results in loss of a trained employee directly affecting an organization‟s productivity but also puts a halt to the working mother‟s career. The method used for gathering primary data and information are focus group and personal interviews. They have been carefully developed in order to discover the problems that working mothers might face in our society. The method also aid in helping organizations to understand ways in which they can Working Mother‟s Dilemmas 5 5 accommodate working mothers while achieving optimum productivity. The societal culture and norms of Pakistan form an integral part of the study and are largely reflected in the analysis of the focus group and interviews and the recommendations. Along with the culture compliance, an important consideration made is the fact that a balance has to be created between the personal and professional life of employees, in this scenario, working mothers. The recommendations would also help organizations develop cost effective solutions to help deserving female employees‟ transition to the journey of parenthood.