Between motherhood and work. Challenges for ‘working moms’ in Germany

Abstract or Introduction

Nowadays, most women want both – being a mother and pursuing a career - as the “Monitor Familienforschung” by the Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend reports. A panel survey headed by Jutta Allmendinger shows that only 10 percent of the interviewed women would give up having children for their job and only 29 percent could imagine giving up on work for their children (Allmendinger, 2009, figures 8 and 9). Nevertheless, reality is not completely in compliance with these wishes and that is a challenge for family policy (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, Monitor 3). Recent debates about the establishment of a female quota on executive boards, the childcare supplement or the legal entitlement to day-care for children under the age of three show how important female employment and the reconciliation of family and working life have become on a political level (e.g. Merkel, 2013). Nevertheless traditional role models still influence the thinking of many people in Germany and mothers who work (more than part-time) are often called “uncaring” (Luci, 2011, p. 11).
The aim of this paper is to work out which challenges working mothers have to face these days. To provide a better understanding of the development of women’s role in Germany an overview about how it was defined in the past and in the present shall be given in the first part of this analysis. Following this overview, a closer look at the numbers of female employment will be taken to find out which employment relationships are relevant for women in general and for mothers in particular. Afterwards the challenges working mothers have to face due to role assignments and/or in connection with employment relationships will be portrayed. These findings will be summarised and needs for actions identified in the conclusion. It should be noted that this analysis only presents an overview and therefore, does not purport to be complete.