Women at work

They told me education I could not receive

It did not help in the household, so they believed

I learnt my letters, but I was explained

Going beyond elementary school was a financial drain

Schooling I completed, college was out of question

For I was of age to be bound in matrimonial union

A college graduate I became, got a masters’ degree

I would raise smart children, er… why was a job necessary?

I was educated, so I joined the workforce

Only to give it up after marriage, but of course!

My husband earned well, so why did I need

To work outside the house indeed?

Yes, I was a working woman…yet did I tell you?

I had to adhere to a strict nighttime curfew

And in the corner of the world where I resided

I could not drive to work- the authorities had decided..

So, of course, my independence was chained

To break free from my shackles I still strained..

As a well-educated, modern woman, I had the privilege

Awarded by my husband and in-laws, to work after marriage

Then came the baby, and different issues arose

To maternity leave, my employers were opposed

When I took time off I was promptly replaced

My investment in my job was all a waste..

Or I was forced to quit to be a full-time mother

As I was explained, one job had replaced another..

My commitment to my career did not count

Motherhood was supposed to be overarching, paramount….

At different times, in different countries I have been

Stopped from pursuing my dreams, I have seen

My wings clipped off each time with explanations varied

Yet I have crossed hurdles, moved forward indeed

It hurts to see that even in the twenty-first century

The workplace is not always ready for me

How many more roadblocks do I cross in order to prove

That educated women are here to stay, men may move..

Published by iheart11