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 husband'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 no one who thinks mother can do all of 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.
First of all, let's consider political and economical section. We need a policy to help working mothers. And the policy has 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. According to a research by the Korea Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, among 788 working mothers aged 15-49 since 2011, only 41.4% used baby break. It is because they worry to be fired or to get any disadvantages in workplace. The baby break is a paid leave so working mothers think the business owner doesn't like it. Actually, some business owners dislike those policies since they are business losses. Therefore, working mothers say the current policies are too nominal. Moreover, in addition to such difficulty in using, the policy itself is not effective. Allowed leaving period is not long enough to take care of young baby. Especially, the subsidy given while leaving is insufficient considering the price of diaper and milk powder. Working mothers also say what they really want is not a new policy but actualizing the current policies. To increase the 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 still there is perception that child caring and doing chores are women's own. That's why I said women are forced to work "in addition to" taking care of their child and doing chores in the first paragraph. 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. If such change on personal perception is accumulated so that cultural change is made, we could relieve working mothers' hardship.
As to this topic, I have had an interview with one working mother, who is a friend of my cousin sister. Her name is Hye-sun Lee, and she has two children. They are 8-year-old and 6-year-old each. She works in IT field. Of course her husband is working. She wanted to talk specifically about the golden week holidays earlier last May. There were Buddha's birthday, Children's day, and 2017 Korean Presidential Election day. Her children's elementary school and kindergarten announced there will be temporary holidays from May 3rd to 9th. However. Her husband and she couldn't apply for a leave because there was many works to do. Even though they could use it legitimately, realistically it is hard. As a result, both parents could not take care of their children by themselves. Instead, she asked her sister to take care of them. Whenever she does so, she feels sorry to their children for not having a time together. She strongly said that there are many working mothers who are temporary-employee or are working in small company. She added those women are usually told from business owner "if you want to use baby break, just quit the job. There are many people who could substitute for you." She finished the interview with this remark. "To actualize the current policies is what the government should do first. Working parents must feel free to use the policies. Also, all working parents want to be a sincere parents to their children."
Today, I talk about hardship working mothers are suffering nowadays in two main sections and related interview. People 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 satisfying life.
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