Are working women really Empowered?

My parents are "closeted feminists," which means they believe in feminist ideology but sometimes feel guilty because of peer or social pressure. And this is the story of many of us. One of the most important things my parents told me from my childhood is to be independent. Take a good education and make a promising career. Being a good daughter, I do so. I worked for seven years after completing my degree. Then I got married and moved to another city. I decided to enjoy a laid back and take a short break from my job, and my husband fully respects my decision. During this break, I got time to think about my actual dreams and passions. I love to write and read, so I started my blog and published two books.

One day my friend called me, she is doing very well in her career, we talk about our old day's memories. Then we talk about married life. she said, "choosing to work as a married woman is very tiring, where the job needs indulgence, and you feel constant guilt." This sentence makes me think, "Being a working woman is empowering or tiring?"

Empowerment is a strong term, it is a feeling of capability that comes within. Empowerment is not only dependent on economic advancement but also needs personal accomplishment and social acceptance. Are women empowered economically if their income is high?

There is a belief that working women have it more accessible; they are not subjected to the same amount of patriarchal obligations as a stay-at-home mothers. Is it so? We as a society tell women to become empowered but on our terms. Before marriage, every girl gets "pre-wedding talk" like balancing work and married life weel, impressing their in-laws, and especially how to behave after marriage. But on the other hand, Men are never subjected to this talk. The reason men are not getting any advice, because "we expect adjustment ONLY from women."

Working married women don't have it easy. They never complain about the office's workload because when they do so, everyone on the line tells them to leave their job. The main problem in a working woman's life is that she is expected to do all the work of a stay-at-home wife and her job. Even when she hires house helps, managing them is her sole responsibility.

We as a society have been telling women to become empowered, but that too on our terms. We usually say that women are superwomen and glorify the real sufferings they face. Choosing to work as a woman is very empowering, but it is also tiring. When you ask for a rest day or my time, you are suddenly bombarded with a comparison with other wives/daughters-in-law. Can it be empowering? This is a story of countless working married women across the world. It is time to accept that money and success do not guarantee empowerment and freedom.