According to a study by the International Labour office in Geneva, the number of employed women grew by almost 200 million over the past decade, to reach 1.2 billion in 2007 compared to 1.8 billion men. Many working women are also married and are raising families.
Some people believe that it is better for a woman to take care of her family while others think that a woman should work as long as she is able to divide her time and energy equally between her home and her workplace.
Do you think that working women are able to balance their household needs with the needs of their workplace? What impact do you think they have on society as a whole?
Men's work suffers when their wives are employed because they are disturbed by unattended problems at home.
I'm the man of the house. If there are things that I need to take care of around the house then I do them. Women don't need to do all the work. It can be divided between the spouses so each has a share and they don't end up resenting each other. I try to make sure that all the chores are divided as equally as possible.
– Tony Morgan
Abu Dhabi
Life is very expensive nowadays so it doesn't matter if the wife works. The family might need the extra income. Because some wives work, their families might have some minor problems regarding certain things but overall I don't think husbands or families are greatly affected because the wife or mother is working.
– Mahmoud Subaih
Abu Dhabi
They won't suffer because many men want their wives to work. Life in Dubai is expensive so if a wife works she helps her husband out with some of the expenses. But a wife should make sure that she doesn't focus on one thing over the other. The husband can also help out to make sure that everything is coordinated accordingly.
– Minish Ponthen
Abu Dhabi
I don't think that's necessarily true. Many people hire housemaids or people to help around the house so husbands or families don't suffer while the wife is working. But if a man has traditional values then he might be upset that his wife is working. On the other hand, if he had modern values then he wouldn't mind it.
– Trudy Spinlely
Dubai
Wives should not be allowed to work if they are not professionally qualified.
It shouldn't matter unless the wife can't find a balance between her home and her work. If she focuses all her attention on one area only then the other areas of her life might become neglected. But if she is able to juggle both then she should be allowed to work because her family won't be affected by the fact that she is working.
– Julie Owens
Abu Dhabi
In the Philippines, many women work even though they might not be professionally qualified. If you have the knowledge or ability to do the job correctly then qualification doesn't matter. I think it depends on the culture because some are more open to the idea of a woman working while others prefer that they stay at home.
– Melinda Francisco
Abu Dhabi
I'm a single working mother so I think that it's all right if wives want to work. It helps them support their families and at the same time, they don't feel dependent on others to help them. Even if they might not have any professional degrees, they can still find a job that they can do that doesn't require that.
– Maria Lourdes Maglang
Dubai
It depends on the situation in their home. If the husband isn't earning enough to cover all of their expenses, then she can help out by finding a job, either in a part-time or full position. That way, even if she doesn't hold a professional degree, she can help out to the best of her abilities. But generally, women should be given the option to work if they want to.
– Heena Masand
Dubai
Working women tend to let house help run their lives.
I know someone who hired someone to help around her house but I don't think that she is influencing her. But if a woman works long hours then there might be a chance that the house help could have some influence. Because of the amount of time they spend, they would know their employer's life from the inside and have intimate details about their life.
– Yelena Grigoreva
Germany
I don't think that the house help could have a lot of influence over the woman of the house — even if she is working. The only time that they might have any influence is if there are children in the household. Then the house help could try to run the working mother's life through her children.
– Ahmad Ali
Abu Dhabi
The house help could influence or run their lives to a certain extent. Because working women spend little time at home, then the house help may have a greater influence over the family, especially if there are children. If the house help is in charge of taking care of the children, then they might end up loving the house help more than their own mother.
– Ada Ulom
Dubai
The house help could have some influence because the working women spend so little time at home. Because some women put their careers before their children, the hired help raises the children and so that has a big impact on them. The children might not be able to connect with their biological mothers as much as the hired help who raised them.
– Anji Sethi
Dubai
For a woman to keep a good home it does not matter if she is employed or a housewife.
I have two children and I think that it would be all right if my wife wanted to work as long as there was a balance between work and raising our children. It's important that their needs are taken care of, such as spending time with them and helping them with their education. If she can do that then I would support her if she wanted to work.
– Ramananban D.
Abu Dhabi
It's possible for women these days to both have a career and look after their families and homes. If a wife can find time for both then she should do it because it would help her husband and her to save up for their children's future. But if she feels that she can concentrate only on one area, then she should choose which one to focus her attention on.
– Pratehbea D.
Abu Dhabi
If a woman can balance both work and home then she should go for it. But there are women who focus mainly on their careers and that causes them to neglect their homes. When that happens, their families might suffer because she isn't there to take care of them. However, there are women who are able to find a balance and take care of both their families and their work.
– Victoria Ho
Dubai
I think it depends on the way they are brought up. If they were given a traditional upbringing then they would focus more on their families. If they were brought up with the belief that they can do anything they want then they would pursue their careers. But I don't think that it would have an effect on how they take care of their homes.
– Alistair Rebello
Dubai
