The illusion of choice: Why I might have to give up my social work career to take care of my child

โ€œAt what point does staying home with the kids make better financial sense?โ€

Why It Matters

The social impact sector is largely made up of women workers โ€” women make up 80 percent of the non-profit workforce alone. Many of these women, like the author of this essay, take on a disproportionate share of caregiving for family members. To be more resilient, the sector will need to better support and accommodate caregivers, and that starts with understanding their experiences.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"The illusion of choice: Why I might have to give up my social work career to take care of my child. In my third year of university, I wrote a paper on the illusion of choice of mothers who are forced to choose between pursuing a career and raising a family full time. In the paper, I pointed out the root causes of the problem; patriarchy and neo-conservative government policies. I critiqued the devaluing of social reproduction and care work. I had a list of recommendations and made an impassioned plea for a better understanding of the problem, a national childcare program and more support for all mothers.\u00a0 But I was not personally invested in the story beyond theories and jargon. I was filled with a level of arrogance that only the naive can afford. Surel

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