Goodbye to the age of Superwoman

Mar 10 2005 by Brian Amble Print This Article

Women in Britain are turning their backs on the "have it all dream" and rejecting the idea of trying to juggle high-flying jobs with raising a family.

According to a new lifestyle survey carried out by New Woman magazine, seven out of 10 young women want a different life to the constant juggling endured by their parents.

A quarter of the 1,500 women questioned for the survey said that they wanted to give up work altogether to raise a family, while only one in 10 intend to work full time and put their child into nursery care.

Two-thirds said that they intended to work part-time because of "financial demands".

More than two-thirds of those surveyed - average age 29 – also said that the man should be the main provider in a family.

Only one per cent expected to regard their career as their top priority once they had children, while nine out of 10 said if they had to work full time they would regret missing out on their children's early years.

Many also said that they found so-called 'supermum' role-models who combined lucrative careers with bringing up a family as "irritating" and "unhelpful".

Margi Conklin, editor of New Woman magazine, said that the survey highlighted a "fundamental shift" in young women's attitudes towards life and work.

"They've seen their own mothers trying, and often failing, to 'have it all' and they've decided they don't want it all.

"They don't want to work crazy hours while their children are put into nurseries and their relationships disintegrate under the strain.

"Young women today are increasingly putting their personal happiness before a big salary or a high-powered career," she added.

"Above everything else, they crave a work-life balance where they can enjoy a fulfilling relationship, raise happy children and have a job that interests them but doesn't overwhelm them.

"The age of the 'superwoman', who wants to be the world's best mother, wife and boss, is dead."