Seonghwan Cho / Chapter4 Part5 A3 / WED 1-2

Working Mothers Need Help

 

As the generation went by, the role of men and women has changed. Among many changes, it is representative for women to be able to participate in economic activity. In the past, women can only do household chores and child caring. But today, We can find women in our workplace. This change seemed to be a blessing at the beginning because it means women can have same right – right to work – as men. However, nowadays it is a burden to women especially who have children. As the economic situation suffer hard time, it is difficult to make a living only by father's income. As a result, women are forced to work in addition to taking care of their child and doing chores. Of course, I'm sure there is nobody who thinks mother can do all the requirements. For those working mothers, our society should guarantee their quality of life since they are members of our society. Through this writing, I'd like to deal with what society can do to help women balance work and family. And there are two main sections I will discuss – one is political and economical and the other is sociocultural.

 

From now on, let's consider political and economical section. We need a policy to help working mothers. And the policy need to be practical and effective not nominal. What is now implementing is baby break – it means child-care leave – and subsidy for it. It looks seemingly great policy. However, many working mothers don't use the baby break. It is because they worry to be fired or to get any disadvantages in workplace. The babe break is a paid leave so working mothers think the business owner doesn't like it. Actually, many business owners hate those policies since they are business losses. Therefore, working mothers say the current policies are too nominal. They also say what they really want is not a new policy but actualizing the current policies. According to a research by the Korea Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, among 788 working mothers aged 15-49 after 2011, only 41.4% used baby break. To increase utilization rate, policy makers should design more feasible policies which working mother can feel free to use while minimizing business losses.

 

Next is the sociocultural section. This can be more personal solution at the beginning because it is about conscious aspect. While the debate about working mothers is heated, many people still do not consider it is an important issue. I think it is due to traditional stereotype. I mean there is perception that child caring and doing chores are women's own. I strongly believe that we need to break it down. Men should feel a sense of duty as to child caring and household chores. Just giving women right to work is not fair. In addition to that, men should also take some obligation from women. If these changes on personal perception are accumulated so that cultural change is made, women no longer will worry about any disadvantages.

 

Today, I talk about hardship working mothers are suffering nowadays in two main sections. Each person in our society need to change our recognition about women's role. And the policy maker should make the current policy more practical, possible, and effective as well as just make new policies. To conclude, I hope in the future women can live a more fair life.