Selflessness
By Anonymous
In my family, most couples are both working outside of the home due to the affordability that this option provides. My mom chose to stay at home to care for me, for what she thought would be a temporary break. However, societal structures and lack of flexibility from her employer prevented her from staying at the same job, and ultimately, returning to the workforce. In the end, she had to re-train and switch into a completely different profession. This caused financial insecurity and she was not able to continue working at her full potential.
Generally, women are faced with a difficult decision, and they are forced to make a choice between family time and their career; they are punished by society regardless of the option that they choose. Overall, we fail to consider, appreciate, and reward the true value of care workers in our society. This lack of appreciation for care workers exists regardless of their age or the type of care they provide. It is essential that we work to follow strategies like the 4 R's (recognize, reduce, redistribute, and represent) to address inequalities in our society (Oxfam).