The new CBC series Workin’ Moms has premiered to both praise and criticism, proving that the conversation surrounding women, children, and paid employment is ongoing and filled with tension.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Catherine Reitman, the writer, producer, director, and star of Workin’ Moms says “No one warned me about the identity crisis. That when you go back to work, not only do you feel you’re not capable, but your ambition is looked down upon. You’re encouraged to feel guilty; if you do, you’re a good mother.” Reitman hopes that if the conditions that women face as both mothers and employees are made more visible, then the support and policy changes that women so desperately need will begin to “make the impossible possible.”
Lynda Ross would most certainly agree. In her new book, Interrogating Motherhood, Ross looks at mothering in the 21st century. She focuses her analysis on Western society and one of the significant issues for those mothers is paid employment and equity. The excerpt below discusses the current condition of “workin moms” in the labour force and adds weight to Reitman’s assertions.
While there has been a slow but steady move towards gender equity in educational institutions and in the workforce, achieving full employment equity continues to be complicated by the roles assigned to and constructed for women—roles reinforced by biological functions associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. Regardless of their achievements outside of the home, women continue to assume the bulk of the responsibility for household labour and child care work inside of the home. While dominant neoliberal discourses focus on the economic and moral virtues of paid employment, the needs of parents, particularly mothers, as contributing members of the workforce remain largely unsupported. Neoliberalism fails to challenge the fundamental ways in which modern societies continue to privilege paid work over family care, upholding male standards for what counts as valuable, meaningful, and important life work. Thus, little room is left for reimagining public and private spheres as fully shared genderless spaces. If Western societies are truly committed to promoting a strong work ethic and strong family values, the structures must be in place to allow individuals, both men and women, to pursue, succeed in, and find satisfaction in both paid employment and family life.
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