The motherhood penalty | The challenge of carrying the parental & mental load to work

This week celebrates women: International Women’s Day, Friday, 8 March and Mother’s Day, Sunday, 10 March.

Two separate days, two days apart, two different themes. One saluting women for their important role as mothers, and another celebrating their achievements as women, whatever their maternal status. What is true is that where traditional roles meet more modern ones, for working mothers, the parental, mental load does not dissipate.

Being a parent doesn’t stop a career but many report that it does shape choices and for some limits their ability to progress. For many career women, the very act of being a mother never leaves their side and, of course for most, they would never wish to dispose of that most important of jobs, even when they are performing their employment responsibilities. We spoke to several women to ask them how they do it all and if, indeed they feel as though they are, or in fact should need to.

Bright Horizons Work and Family Index Report, 2024 reports that women are impacted on almost every level. Three in four bear most of the family, mental load and are less able to progress in their career while working flexibly. This compares to 48% of men. That’s an uplift of 54% of mental load for women compared to men, which is significant and worrying.