A career woman is a term used for a woman who is either married or single and who is engaged in a work to earn a living and for personal enhancement. Such a person, rather than to sit at home as a house wife, seeks a job outside her home to help her earn a living. Through sheer determination and hard work, she seeks to break out of the confines of being just a home maker to a more meaningful engagement that will better her lot and that of her household. Such a woman believes that she can gain independence by way of her own skills and strength because she believes that personal economic stability is her best bet to earn her freedom.
The Journey to stardom takes gradual but steady process. Such a
woman who has a dream to fulfill begins early to pursue her career in any field she desires from tender foot. She walks, talks and dreams where she wants to be in future. That is why when you meet her as a girl in primary or secondary school and ask her what she will wish to be in future, her answer will affirm her desire to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, teacher, pilot, etc. If for instance her dream is to be a teacher, she pays attention to her teacher while in the class to catch up with her school lessons. Often times she drifts away in thought wondering, how she will feel in future becoming a teacher. She prays and wishes to be like her teacher, that at any slightest opportunity, she does not waste time in letting the world know that her teacher is her role model.
At home, she sits in to practice the role of a teacher. Often times she is seen with chalk and cane as a way of emulating her teacher. She teaches her siblings as she walks and talks like her teacher. At this juncture, you don’t need a soothsayer to know where the child’s interest is. Which ever field she chooses, it becomes a guide to her activities in life all through to her university days. In school, she works very hard to earn a good certificate to become a career woman. So a career woman is that woman who has gone through formal education and obtained a certificate to work in a given field so as to earn a living for herself. Some of them are lawyers, company secretaries, bankers, lecturers, teachers, air hostesses, etc. They may be single or married ladies.
The single career lady usually labours through her chosen profession for the purposes of personal enhancement and those of her family members which include her parents and siblings. While single and working, she is faced with different challenges in life. She may have aged parents and younger ones to take care of. As she toils through the rough road of her career and earns a living, she divides her income to satisfy the needs of her parents and those of her siblings. She also has the challenges of taking care of her personal needs such as feeding, house rents, school fees, etc. These challenges sometimes can be too cumbersome for a young lady who has no shoulder to lean or cry on when the need arises. In the bid to shoulder her numerous responsibilities her dream to enhance and better her life becomes a far fetched one because often times the salary she earns is much smaller compared with her needs. In view of this my dear young lady abandons her welfare just to satisfy the needs of others.
It is even more painful when the people she is labouring for are not appreciative of her efforts. She denies herself good food, dresses and other valuables that will add value to her life. So while working she looks unkept and ruffled because of the numerous responsibilities she is saddled with. In the long run, after several years of hard work my dear young lady will have no fat account to call her own and even no property to show for what she has laboured.
Some have even refused to marry early because of the fear of who will carter for their families. The fear is usually that when she gets married, her husband will cage her and prevent her from rendering those helps she has always given to her family. Some because of these problems have missed the chances of getting married because when they see love and the courtship begins as the man realizes that she has so much weight on her shoulder, the man takes a second name as Ben Johnson or Usain Bolt. He runs away because of fear of the lady’s family responsibilities. The lady is left to her design and her biological clock you can be sure ticks steadily away-a constant reminder that Mr. age is moving faster than the fulfillment of her dreams.
Back in her office, she faces the sexual harassment of an old randy boss, who even though old enough to be a father would wish to exploit her at all costs. Even a younger boss may not help matters as he too will not mind giving up his marriage vows just to have her even if for a second. In rare situations would these young bosses consider their female staff as possible spouses. If she refuses, the threat of losing her job stares her on the face. What a world full of thorns and gullies. When the atmosphere becomes so charged and unbearable my little angle will either give in or give up depending on the level of her faith on her maker. In the midst of all these confusion, I hear the voice of a troubled lady screening “God where are thou?” The God I serve, a very present help in times of distress will always come readily to redeem his own. I can hear his voice telling you dear daughter of Zion “It is well with you I am in the midst of her and I will help her and that’s right early” (Psalm 27). May I prophesy to you, the wounded heart that the Egyptians you see today you will see them no more, because our God is not sleeping.
The married working class woman is not left out in these challenges. As a woman and a mother, she is torn in between the problems of her profession/career and that of her family. As a wife she is expected to make babies. In her pregnancy state, she battles through the period of nine months to give birth to a child. During this period of pregnancy which is a difficult time, she is expected to come to work and discharge her duties effectively. The first and the last trimesters of her pregnancy are always cumbersome but she must overcome the dizzy periods, the periods of nausea and tiredness because the files must be treated and she must maintain a cordial relationship with her boss or risk the loss of her job.
At home she has two categories of babies to cater for-her husband and her children — all at one point or the other competing for attention that must be given. Her obligations in marriage must be fully satisfied. The husband expects her to cook his meal, dress his bed, wash and iron his dresses as well as attend to other house chores. The children are not left out in this consideration because she must take care of their general well being to ensure that they are healthy. So she has to cook for them, wash their cloths, clean the house and sometimes do the school run. One wonders how she copes with all the responsibilities. It is only heaven that can tell.
Worst still if she is a lady banker, who must attract a specific sum to her bank every month or stand the risk of losing her job then things may get nasty. In addition to taking care of her family, she has to secure her job. In some cases, the only way to meet the target may be to compromise her marriage vows. Some customers may insist on cutting a pound of flesh so that they can maintain a regular account with her bank. If she is weak in faith, she succumbs to the temptation, she constantly breaks her marriage vows as she finds herself duplicating the conjugal duty. As she satisfies her husband, there is also the rich man out there that she must satisfy to meet her target. While trying to satisfy too many interest groups, her body wears and tears on daily basis. In the process of combating the several challenges her health may be affected and the risk of possible break down may be high. And if, she eventually gets down both work and family suffer because sometimes my career woman may not live to tell the story of her life.
Considering all these challenges facing a career woman, it becomes necessary that her loved ones and relations must stand by her to give her support so as to prolong her life. Every hand that loves her must be on deck to make her burden lighter. She must come home from work into a loving and peaceful environment. There should be helpers in the house to take care of some domestic chores. Her husband should understand the nature of her work and treat her accordingly with respect and dignity.
The office boss should take heed not to threatening her by trying to have undue advantage of her body. He should know that she is another man’s wife or sister knowing fully well that if he exploits another man’s wife, daughter or sister, the same measure awaits him sometime in the future. The relations of the single working class lady should not be overbearing on their daughter and sister so that she can live a peaceful and a fulfilled life.
To all the career women out there be strong, bold and brave to defend your rights any day, and time.
God’s grace as you pass through the challenges of life.
I love you all that have respect for womanhood!!
