Balancing work and family

Today, let us take up a nuanced and non-stereotyping way to explore the complex structural, cultural, and emotional pressures many women face as they balance work and family.

In the modern workforce, women step into offices, hospitals, classrooms, laboratories, and boardrooms carrying a second, often invisible, workplace with them: the home. There is a profound emotional tether that connects working mothers to their children—a connection strengthened by biology, culture, expectation, and love. This dual concern shapes the daily experience of millions of young women in their prime youth and deserves careful understanding rather than simplification.

For decades, societies have encouraged women to pursue higher education, build careers, and claim their place in the professional arena. Yet the traditional expectations of motherhood have not diminished proportionately. While a man’s identity is still frequently framed around professional productivity, a woman—especially a mother—is often culturally defined by her care giving role. This duality does not simply disappear when she sits down at her desk or enters a meeting. Instead, it becomes a layered mental landscape in which professional responsibilities coexist with emotional vigilance such as: Did the baby sleep well? Is the toddler recovering from yesterday’s fever? How is my daughter adjusting to her new school? These questions follow many mothers like a quiet echo throughout the workday. Psychologically, this is not weakness; it is wiring.

The professional environment, however, has not fully adapted to this reality. Workplaces that operate on traditional, linear expectations—long hours, total focus, constant availability—often ignore the fact that many women are operating in multilayered roles. When structures fail to accommodate flexibility, reliable childcare, or family-responsive policies, women may appear “preoccupied,” not because they lack commitment, but because they are forced to bridge two worlds without institutional support.

Perhaps for these reasons, many women simply refuse to view career achievement as a marker of a meaningful life. Still, not all women feel this way. Some women choose to become mothers; yet feel most fulfilled by their professional accomplishments, personal achievements and contributions towards the collective good of the society. Some mothers are energized by work, finding in it a sanctuary of individuality. The spectrum is wide, and acknowledging this diversity is essential. Therefore, it would be a misconception to assume that all women experience work–family conflict in the same way or that devotion to children leads to diminished professional value.

In an era where women increasingly participate in the workforce, reliable child-care services at work place becomes a foundational social need and not a mere provision. In that context, day-care centers could provide a safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment for the children while their mothers engage in employment, education, or skill-building activities.

Professional caregivers introduce children to cognitive, social, emotional, and language development activities that strengthen their foundations before formal schooling. Research shows that children who attend quality day-care programs often demonstrate better communication skills, social confidence, and problem-solving abilities. This early exposure helps reduce educational inequalities, especially for children from low-income or single-parent households, thereby benefiting society as a whole.

No workplace policy for women is complete without a corresponding policy for men. The inclusion of some provisions can have transformative potential as meaningful as paternity leave, for instance. While maternity leave has long been institutionalised—paternity leave has historically been treated as optional, symbolic, or even unnecessary. This assumption rests on the idea that women are natural caregivers and men are peripheral helpers, and that a child’s early life depends predominantly on the mother. Contrary to cultural stereotypes of fatherly distance, the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) is about loving, being present, and emotionally expressive with children. He would carry his grandchildren on his back during prayer. He would also shorten the prayer when he heard a child crying to ease the mother. Now very lately we have come to realise that childcare is foundational work—not women’s work. Researches show that children who get engaged with fathers early on in life often exhibit stronger social skills, better emotional regulation, and higher confidence. When both parents are present, the child receives a more stable and nurturing environment.

In homes where both parents are professionals or both are working, childbirth does not pause the demands of employment. Working mothers, especially those in high-pressure professions, often face an overwhelming “second shift” when they return home. Paternity leave provides structural support, enabling fathers to step fully into care giving roles rather than functioning as occasional assistants. Without a partner who can take time off and share the early-childcare responsibilities, women are far more likely to: reduce their work hours, turn down promotions, take extended career breaks, experience burnout or feel like paying “motherhood penalties” in a nut shell.

Therefore granting and not merely assigning paternity leave is a crucial step toward balancing responsibilities at home, empowering working mothers, and redefining fatherhood in a way that strengthens families and workplaces alike. The aim should be about fulfilling one’s potential and not wasting God-given abilities of any human being (man or woman). In that context, the prophet (PBUH) made a very explicit statement that “There is no greater injustice to a person (man or woman) than that he/she possessed an ability or talent, yet it was wasted.” Iqbal has elaborated this idea in the following lines

“Afrād ke hāthon mein hai aqwām kī taqdīr,

har fard hai millat ke muqaddar ka sitāra”

This is to present a profound and empowering vision of society in which every individual regardless of status or gender, holds the transformative potential.

 Dr. Qudsia Gani, Assistant Professor and Head Dept. of Physics, Govt. Degree College, Pattan Baramulla J&K.