Can this generation of young successful and professional women have it all? Money, power, position and family life balance?
Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer who took on the job while pregnant would probably say yes. She does take calls during conferences if it is her son, who knows to contact her during work solely for emergency reasons. So, considerations could be had for flexibility and understanding in the workplace towards mothers.
Leymah Gbowee is also another mother, a mother of six and Nobel Laureate who says women can have it all. She posits that the American work-life balanced ambition can be achieved by women nevertheless it will not necessarily be easy. She confides that “Balancing is a difficult thing, and no one should deceive themselves that having it all means that it will be well balanced... there will always be priorities.”
For instance, Gbowee does not travel on birthdays nor in December, no matter how important or great the event she is being called to do is. She offers a realistic view of the work-family life. It would be interesting to see how husbands, partners can or do play a role in helping women find that balance as well as extended family members, such as aunts, uncles or grandparents. As Gbowee reminds us that there will always be priorities, the question is which one you will prioritise at the end of the day, work which could mean sacrificing time with your family and other valuable things in your life or should that time be sacrificed for the money and maybe status which comes along with your job or career? Maybe we should re-evaluate the extra expenses or upgrades which arise in addition to the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter. Are the extras and upgrades worth the extra time labouring at work?
It is possible to have work-home balance and juggle your hours into a holistic equilibrium.
On the other hand, there are proponents which argue that women cannot have it all and that work-life balance for working mothers is never an even balance. Moreover, either work or family will suffer in the process of continuing to work or stay at home, however one cannot have both.
Princeton professor Ann-Marie Slaughter is one those people who say there can never be an even balance and wrote in the Atlantic"Why Women Still Can't Have It All,".
Investigations into intricate questions of balance can be answered with help from what your definitions of “having it all” means to you. As the huffingtonpost writes, “having it all is ultimately self-defined.” And “your definition may change as your life and career progress.” So they give us the important reminder of being flexible and open-minded and reflect on the fact that people’s lifestyles come in varying forms. What may work for one may not work for another. It is important to know what works for you and your family and their needs and knowing what you want in your life.
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