NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama): The majority of young working women in urban India are putting off plans to start a family as they put career and professional ambitions ahead of motherhood, a survey by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and India (ASSOCHAM) revealed.
“Ambitious working women in India are not willing to give up their career for the sake of family as they are apprehensive about dealing with stress and emotional distress associated with issues of work/life balance,” ASSOCHAM’s secretary general D.S. Rawat said.
The ASSOCHAM under the aegis of ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation (ASDF) carried out a random survey of 1,200 married, young full-time working women without children and 800 stay-at-home mothers in the 24-30 age group at urban centres of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune from March to April.
Over half of married, young working women in the urban centres said they have shelved plans to start a family as career advancement and higher education is their priority and were unable to sacrifice the same to raise kids, the survey highlighted.
“Household chores, social commitments and other obligations make raising kids a delicate balancing act for women with successful careers,” said Rawat in a statement here Friday.
About 10 per cent said they work to lead a better lifestyle and need to accumulate enough wealth before they start a family and cope with rising childcare costs.
A total of 200 respondents from the working women category said they have put off plans to have a baby as it would disfigure their physical appearance, while 70 of them said they are too young to be a mother.
However, about 20 per cent of these said they have made a mutual decision with their spouse in that they would accomplish their career goals first before starting a family.
Many working women said they work primarily out of passion for their career and to hone their organisational skills.
The survey said about 220 respondents from this category said they have no qualms in going for the family way and becoming a mother would make them feel happier and fulfilled and are not fearful of the effect motherhood might have on their career.
Of the 800 stay-at-home moms interviewed, about 25 per cent said they regretted not being able to work as they are less educated, have limited job skills and find it hard to make both ends meet due to rising cost of living.
About 80 women said they regretted motherhood as they have lost their social identity, the survey revealed.
It also said about 15 per cent said they had previously worked but quit their successful careers and had chosen a family life over their job as it was becoming a conflict of priorities. -NNN-BERNAMA
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