I AM a mother of three, having a master’s degree from a renowned educational institution. Some 10 years after I did my graduation, here is my conundrum for all the experts and activists in society associated with the domains of gender equality and women’s rights to consider, and, if possible, advise.

About two or three years after I graduated, I switched jobs from a good company to a very different place. It was an organisation with gruelling hours and a seriously challenging environment. I opted to become a homemaker. In that capacity, I grew as a woman not only in age, but also in stature because day in and day out, my ability to solve problems increased and I learnt new skills. Today, throw me in any situation and I am confident in my ability to address the biggest and the smallest of issues alike.

Despite all this, when I set out to use my 10 or so years of such a rich experience to join any esteemed organisation, employers have no place for me. People other than those in the education sector turn the face away, presuming my skills to be completely worthless. As for the education sector, it is only interested as it is always looking for opportunities to reduce the chances of anybody seeking a good remuneration. This is the primary reason why people like me are welcomed in this sector.

The biggest discrimination any woman faces in my situation is to have her degrees, her experience thrown in her face due the unorthodox nature of ‘work expe- rience’ they have other than working at a desk with a group of people. Thousands, if not millions, of homemakers like me find themselves stuck with a very different type of glass ceiling the very minute they decide to ‘stay’ at home to raise their children or take care of their parents.

There are some companies out there offering ‘re-preneurship’ opportunities, but they are very few in numbers, and are limited to on-site opportunities in major metropolitan cities in Pakistan. I am not suggesting to go desperate and have quotas for people like us, though the thought itself is quite interesting. I do, however, think that there should be options with a plausible workload that does not involve sleeping all day long can be a half-way solution for all those shaking their heads while reading this.

Being a homemaker may not be as glorified as working offshore for a multinational entity, but the occasional frown can be rested for a bit when people like me apply somewhere and do somehow reach the interview stage, which, again, has limited probability.

Why is it so hard for people to welcome someone with open arms without any prior learned predispositions? It is a question as basic as this. Give us an aptitude test for soft skills, and look at a vast majority of us shine. I am just putting an idea forward. Personally, I am in the grey, and do not have a plausible solution, but in addition to all the various issues, society needs to address this one as well.

So, then, experts and activists, do you have a solution to the problem, or advice for me and thousands of others like me?

Saman Hamid
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2024