To all working mothers, including Hong Kong’s migrant domestic helper mums: thank you
- The pandemic has exacerbated pressure on working mums to balance the demands of work and childcare while receiving little society-wide support
- The foreign workers who leave their own children behind, to play a key role in supporting local families, deserve our utmost respect
The relationship between motherhood and work is one of the trickiest balancing acts there is for a woman. Entrenched gender stereotypes place an unfair burden on working mums.
At work, employers may be biased against female employees who are mothers, while at home, women are often expected to shoulder most of the childcare, care for the elderly and household duties.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many working mums, including myself and other members of the PathFinders team, struggle to balance the demands of work, childcare and home-based learning.
It is so disheartening to read headlines across the world about the number of mums leaving the workforce due to the pressure of trying to be just as productive at work, while ensuring children are doing school work.
Given limited care options for children in Hong Kong, many working mums have relied heavily on the support of migrant domestic workers, especially during the pandemic, to be able to remain employed and better balance work and family life. The same reliance is true for working daughters, many of whom hire migrant domestic workers to help care for elderly parents.
