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The New Working Woman How to balance your marriage and career
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Section In-Charge: Batool Zehra Send your feedback to women@tribune.com.pk
unwind—
What’s hot this summer
domestic goddess A desi delight
by Iram Moazzam
The challenges of juggling home and career
“H
EC announced Matric results today,” reported the newscaster with a smile. “This is the third year in a row that two out of the top three positions have been won by girls.”
I flinched at the news and switched th the TV channel trying to find somethin thing less disheartening to watch. Each year, these brilliant girls make headlines, the government go applauds, teachers cheer and families celebrate. But have you ever wondered where these female position holders go? They go to their susralss and their gender gen prevents them from attaining their professional goals. The statement statemen that they would often hear in their classrooms “The sky is the limit!” ultimately changes to “Home is the limit!” Sara Riaz, now a mother of two, was a topper in Matric, a gold medalist in FSc and had a 4.0 GPA at her university in New Zealand. “My plans pre-marriage were really big,” she says, “I aimed to do an MBA and work in a bank but after marriage, I could not manage to stay away from home for nine hours every day!” Momina Umar also put her career on the backburner for the same reasons. Despite being a scholarship winner and earning a distinction in her Masters degree in Innovative Technology from the UK, Momina left work after getting married since her husband felt that it would adversely affect their family life. Whether it’s because their spouses tell them outright that they cannot work or because of subtler relationship dynamics, most women give up their careers after marriage. Some, like Nazish Rizvi, have simply not planned for their careers adequately. With a degree in dentistry from Karachi, she shifted to Toronto after her marriage and found that she could not practice because she had to pass the Canadian board’s own dentistry exams. Children followed soon after
make a list of all that you wish to obtain in your lif Get support from your family: Your goals will be in this case your family. Employers also play a key r cies regarding timings and leaves so it is imperativ 3) Work ‘in the zone’: While at work, focus on thing the next half-hour. Work on high priority tasks firs more free time later in the day. 4) Plan ahead: Before hitting the sack each night, p pleted the next day. 5) Create blocks of time for work and family: Pre for the different activities like sending off an ema complete each activity within its given time span. 6) Weekly dates with spouse/children: Put the wee ly outing to get some much needed family time. 7) Remember you are not Superwoman: Accept erything. Focus on the more important tasks, bot needed. 8) Share household chores: If you live abroad or are at work, try to get your entire family involved in d specific responsibilities to your children to get as m 9 Be present: While at work, your attention should 9) with family, follow the same ‘no texts, no calls and talk about work. 10) Fix your attitude: The most important thing is to 1 you are capable of achieving anything you like, no 2)
making it impossible to continue her studies and Nazish’s career has been on hold for 10 years now. Other women have to forego their career because they live in a joint family system with certain chores and responsibilities placed on them, making it impossible for them to manage a full time job. As for me, my growing frustration at those position holders stemmed from my own inability to forge a career. I was top of my class at Punjab University where I earned a degree in Human Resource management. After marriage, I shifted from Lahore to Islamabad, leaving my job as an HR Officer at a multinational software house. Since my mother-in-law was diabetic and had a kidney transplant, I was obliged to look after household affairs and full time career options went out the window. Of course, there are many women who continue to work after marriage. Ghazala Shoaib is HR manager of a multinational software house in Lahore and mother to a 15-month-old daughter who has been going to daycare since the age of three months. “Work /life balance is very tricky, especially with our culture where a lot is expected from women, whether they work or not,” she says. What makes it easier for Ghazala is that not only does her company offer her flexible timings, she also has the option to work from home. Maira Ahmed, HR Director at Tetra Pak is another woman who has found a way to make it work. Mother to a one-and-a-half year old daughter, she takes advantage of the daycare centre at her workplace. “I can complete 20% of my working hours from home each month,” she says. According to a report issued by the World Bank in 2013, women in Pakistan constitute only 28% of the overall labour force, despite being a majority. Surprisingly, female employments rates are lower in urban areas where most job opportunities should exist. But seeing how scarce the provisions to accommodate females in the work force are, this dismal statistic makes absolute sense. In my search for a job after marriage, I was dismayed to find that the only jobs that existed in the part-time and telecommuting category were data entry and writing. So, despite my degree, my work experience and the repeated reminders from my friends that I should be making more of my talent, I resorted to spending my free time watching Star Plus and gossiping on the phone. With the exception of a few multinational corporations which offer adequate maternity leave and day-care facilities to keep their female employees at peace while they work, few companies consider the needs of a woman at the workplace. The long hours force many of them to abandon working. This can have adverse effects on their self-esteem, even plunging some into depression. What is worse is that the investment in their education eventually goes down the drain. Juggling your personal and professional life is challenging and no woman can strike a balance between the two without support from her employer. Employers and firms in Pakistan should give thought to flex time, telecommuting and job sharing to encourage the participation of more women in the work force. Flexible timings improve efficiency by allowing women to work according to their personal schedules. Besides, hiring employees on part-time or contractual basis can help firms save money. Since technology has made it easier to work from different locations as long as computers are linked across them, one can now complete workrelated tasks whilst watching over their sleeping toddler or pot of curry. Firms can also adopt job-sharing, wherein two employees share one job, reducing the workload on each. Few companies are looking into these options at the present though the potential dividends for both employee and employer are great. Leon Menezes who has over 35 years of work experience in Sales and HR recommends that companies review policies and structures to encourage women’s career aspirations. The starting point, he says, is for the company to articulate a philosophy regarding female talent which should then be backed up by policies and affirmative actions to ensure women have the necessary encouragement and support. “If many small companies are located in one building,” he suggests, “a common day-care can be set up and expenses shared.” Though many women will find that a career break is necessary after marriage, some return after their children are more independent. Sara Riaz, whose son is now 8 years old and daughter 5, has taken to part-time teaching while her children are at school. At these times, the joint family system can even be a positive factor, allowing women to leave their children at home and continue work. So ladies, I would like to urge you all to think carefully before making life-changing decisions about career and marriage. As Waqar Ahsan, former training head and VP of Askari Bank says, “Attitude and temperament are more important than one’s gender.” If you want it, go and get it!
Despite my degree, my work experience and repeated reminders from my friends that I should be making more of my talent, I resorted to spending my free time watching Star Plus and gossiping on the phone
If many small companies are located in one building, a common day-care can be set up and expenses shared
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Take a to get y yourse to pow and ap and yu salads breakf drinkin and wi nutritio eating walking the soa mornin being o glare is in a go
This delicious concoction of meat and spices is a favourite across the subcontinent. Surprisingly quick and easy to make, Chicken Karahi is a staple at every gathering, be it a simple or extravagant affair. Check out this recipe for homemade Chicken Karahi. I guarantee it will be a treat to your taste buds!
Method • Heat some oil and the flame when done. • Add the cumin seeds and ginger and fry. • Place back on the stove and add chicken and half of the tomatoes. • Cook over low heat until the gravy becomes dry and the chicken is tender. • Add the green chillies and remaining tomatoes. • In a separate pan, prepare the bhagaar by heating oil and frying some cumin seeds in it at low heat. • Garnish with coriander leaves and limes.
Ingredients:
Alternative method: • Boil the chicken with garlic and ginger then fry in a little oil. Add the tomatoes and allow the mixture to cook before removing it from the pan. • Fry the green chillies and cumin seeds with some red chilli powder and salt. • Pour this mixture over the chicken and continue frying for some time. • Serve with lemon.
Chicken 1 kg
Tomatoes 2
Cumin seeds (zeera) ½ to ¾ tsp
Ginger (sliced into 1 ½ inch long pieces)
Handful of green chillies (slit with seeds removed)
Oil ¼ cup
Gar
Status Born
Single Karachi,
Birthday
10th
Mohamma
PHOTOS: MAHWISH RIZVI
Who is he?
Jibran Nas
This dapper young gentleman barely needs an introduction! Jibran most recently made waves across Pakistan as the ‘Azaad Umeedwaar’ candidate from Karachi’s NA-250 and has since been casting a spell on us, particularly in his passionate election videos, urging his fellow Pakistanis to vote responsibly. A lawyer by profession, Jibran’s compassion and love for Pakistan and his fellow countrymen encouraged him to enter into politics and prove that any regular Pakistani can bring about a change if they just try. Mind you, this is not all that Jibran is about... he is also an ardent squash player who enjoys cooking in his free time! Plus, he has knack for singing. As if his good looks aren’t enough to win our hearts! Are you also imagining Jibran humming a romantic ballad in your kitchen whilst preparing some fancy food for you? We totally are.
Why we love him
Jibran’s alpha male looks, coupled with an intellectual persona that one can only find in lawyers has won the hearts of the nation. His courage and humanitarianism make him our real-life, desi version of Atticus Finch and we just can’t get past his passionate gaze hitting us through our laptop screens! Despite having become a household name in such a short time, Jibran remains grounded and true to himself. What we find especially heart-warming is his inability to see others in misery and hatred for hypocrisy. Jibran values sincerity over everything else and believes that someday, Pakistan will rise from all of its troubles and prosper if its youth comes forward as he has and fights for it. Let’s just say we can’t stop drooling over his mature and charismatic personality, especially when he is out on the streets, leading the anti-rigging dharnas and working for a better tomorrow. He most certainly has our vote!
What you didn’t know about him Jibran is terrified of heights and water! However, he is working towards overcoming his fears by taking up sky and deep-sea diving. What say, ladies? Set up an underwater date with him before someone else does. His favourite food is nihari. Jibran is single and seeking a woman who challenges him intellectually. Call dibs!