“I want to retire early,” M told me, her eyes filled with profound exhaustion. I knew that feeling all too well, but I refrained from saying anything these days. Instead, I gazed at her and told her that she would inevitably rue giving up her career.
The Struggles of Educated Women in the Corporate World
I reminded her that her most difficult years were over now that her children were 16 and 13, and she had found a way to keep working. The corporate world can be tiresome and take a toll on us, particularly for educated women who are often underestimated and undervalued. Even after all these years since the Women’s Liberation Movement, it’s still customary for women to take prolonged leave after childbirth to become caregivers.
Women Still Confronting Discrimination in the Workplace
Despite having a woman as the leader of sovereign states since 1960 (Sri Lanka), women still feel disparaged by men in the workplace on a daily basis. I knew this all too well, having experienced it myself. I have been a CEO, managing director, and founder of an MNC in my early 30s, but people still talked to me like I knew nothing, simply because I was a woman. I fought every step of the way, being the youngest in my Asian team and a woman of the wrong color when I was studying in a western country during my time.
Don’t Give Up Your Career Just Because You’re Tired
I told my friend that if she gives up now, she might not be able to come back to the workforce in a meaningful way, and she might end up doing menial jobs like cleaning tables or selling tissues. Well, at least that’s what we see older folks do. While these folks add to the economy in their own meaningful way, and if that’s truly what she wants to do, then that’s fine, but if it’s because she’s tired and giving up now, she’ll regret it.
The Importance of Fighting for Your Career
I acknowledged that family is important, and if she had to give up her career for a good reason, that’s understandable. But she had already taken three years off to take care of her kids, and now that they’re older, there’s no reason for her to give up her career. She shouldn’t be retiring just because she feels like she has to cave into a world that hates women. I encouraged her to keep learning and fighting those who underestimate her. At the end of her career, she will be able to look back and know that she did it on her own terms.
The Choice is Yours
As I contemplate my conversation with my friend, I can’t help but wonder: Are you a woman who is ensnared in a comparable situation? No matter how old we are or where we are in our career, women will constantly confront this same conundrum. Will you relinquish and retire early, or will you persist in fighting and pushing forward? The choice is yours, but just remember that your decision will determine your future.
Encouraging Women to Hang In There
And if you are a man reading this, you will doubt many things I say, even if you are someone who truly respect women, even if you have given women their promotions and chose women over men when you employ a new staff. You won’t understand the subtle battles educated working women face, not just from men, managers, co-workers and subordinates of any gender. There’s nothing you can do, this is the world we live in. All we can do is to encourage other women to hang in there, and to teach our own daughters and sons on why things have to change.
