Dhaka’s corporate and business sectors buzz with the energy of entrepreneurs and professionals. But for a unique set of individuals, these jobs happen to be more than just a medium of income. We’re talking about the mothers, who strive to establish their own identities through their businesses and jobs while ensuring the best possible upbringing for their children. Unfortunately, the social conditioning of most of the women in Bangladesh is such that working women, especially in business sectors fail to be good parents. This stereotype has been proved wrong and shallow uncountable times and career-oriented mothers promptly continue to break this myth every day.
Into the Lives of Some Working Mothers
The best insight into the lives of these supermoms can be given by the mothers themselves. This is what Sahar Rahman, a mompreneur, the owner of Sahar Rahman Couture and Monroe Khussas has to say about her life as a parent and an entrepreneur, “I usually set my priorities for home and work as per my needs and don’t have any steadfast routine for it. Being a mother is all about sacrifices. So I manage as much time as I can for my children by cutting off some from my leisure or me-time. As for my parental strategy, I have set some disciplinary rules, such as no screen time after a certain hour, no talking while eating, and most importantly, being respectful towards the helping hands of the house.” Mrs. Rahman’s dedication to her work and her children shines through. She loves what she does and that’s the advice she wants to give to her children – to choose a work that they can put their mind and soul into.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is always challenging for professionals, but for working mothers, this challenge comes with added responsibilities. Aftabun Nahar, an entrepreneur who runs her own business of Jamdani Saree through her Facebook page, ‘SK Fashion,’ understands this well. She started her business in 2019 and has come a long way since then, now even shipping her beautiful sarees internationally. Sharing her approach to time, home, and work management, she said, “My children use our car for commuting to school, however, I myself drop and pick them up from their coaching centre. I usually do the cooking at noon and allocate time at night for packing the products that need to be delivered. Besides, I have one helping hand for the household chores and one to help me with my business.”
Besides mompreneurs, there are women who have been setting inspirational examples in the job and service sectors. Evana Hoque is a mother who is working as a consultant at Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre, a Chartered Accountant at their family-owned CA firm FAMES & R, Chartered Accountants, and pursuing her Bar-at-Law degree simultaneously. “I always manage to spend some quality time with my son daily and study for a few hours at night, as much as I can manage. I do get some flexibility from my family firm and have kept tutors for my son, so that helps me a bit.” Mrs. Hoque exemplifies the boundless multitasking abilities of mothers and the energy and sense of commitment they possess.
Delegation is a key strategy for most of the working moms. By building a network of support, whether it’s family, helpers they hire, or tutors for their kids, these mothers free up their time and energy to tackle different areas of their lives.
Family Effort and Support
Apart from the hired delegates, it is imperative for the members, especially the adults of the family like grandparents, uncles, aunts, or adult siblings to create a supportive and congenial environment for the mothers. This allows mothers to balance their work and family life without being overwhelmed with responsibilities. As fathers share equal duties in child-rearing, ideally, the responsibilities of nurturing the child should be equitably divided between both parents. Fathers who pitch in with homework, housework, and emotional support, as they should, are lifesavers for working moms. Not only do they ease the burden, but they also build a stronger family connection and model healthy teamwork for their kids. Shared responsibilities among parents help to defy social stereotypes and contribute to nurturing a progressive and healthy generation.
Redefining traditional workspaces
Modern-day workspaces are expected to be progressive and employee-friendly, and a significant portion of the workforce consists of working mothers. Mompreneurs often regulate the workspaces according to their rules and thus undoubtedly create a supportive work structure for mothers like themselves. However, for a lot of working mothers, the reality lies outside the realm of self-made businesses. All kinds of workspaces, from established corporations to small start-ups, need to incorporate facilities like daycare centres, lactation rooms, and hybrid workstations or remote employment options. This not only meets the unique requirements of working mothers but also conveys a strong message of inclusivity and understanding. Furthermore, providing these incentives can help recruit and retain top female talent, resulting in a more diverse and successful workforce. Substantially, organisations with better work-life balance policies have higher employee satisfaction, reduced turnover rates, and even higher productivity. Investing in the well-being of working mothers is not only ethical; it is also a smart business move.
Empowering Working Mothers Indiscriminately
While we celebrate mothers breaking stereotypes with their self-made businesses, successful jobs, and contributions in the medical field, academics or any other sector, let us also not forget to empower the marginalised women who strive every day to take care of their families without adequate support, wages, and flexibility. Be it mompreneurs, mothers in service sectors, homemakers, garment workers, or mothers working as helping hands in our homes, we have a lot to learn and behold from the stories of their juggling dreams and responsibilities.
Author: Tasfia Tahiat Umme
