Double standards in gender
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
The latest sitcom from CBC is called Workin’ Moms. According to an IMDB description, it: “follows the lives of four women as they juggle love, careers, and parenthood. They support, challenge, and try not to judge each other as life throws them curveballs.”
Sitcoms displaying slice-of-life situations are nothing new, and the show actually looks pretty funny. However, the concept and title are sexist and decades behind the times.
Imagine if CBC premiered “Workin’ Dads.” Obviously, the concept of a male who has a job and also children is nothing new and accepted. Women who have children and also a career are also not new. While the idea of women attempting to be more than just a housewife has been mainstream for decades, the “working mom” stereotype remains and is judged far too often.
Most moms work, particularly today when a single income isn’t enough, or in a single-parent household situation. They don’t just work petty jobs, they work hard at challenging careers that require much effort. These jobs come in all varieties, and many of us remember our mothers working nights and weekends to support us growing up.
There is still a terrible perception in society today that women are not as capable as men in… Well, pretty much everything, but particularly in having a career. Because of their gender, women are considered less qualified to balance a career and children. A man having a job he’s good at while also having a family is seen as incredibly normal and encouraged, but when a woman does it, it results in criticism and CBC sitcoms.
Workin’ Moms was created by a working mother, and I don’t think she intended for there to be a sexist message or perception underlined. Unfortunately, we live in a society where it will probably always be more difficult to be a mother than to be a father. The responsibilities that are expected with this double standard are ridiculous.
Ultimately, a woman can do literally any task that a man can do just as well. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs and CEOs are women at the top of the corporate ladder in careers, and there are just as many successful women working lower-level labour. A working mother is not a daring or interesting concept; it is simply a human being who happens to be female with a job and at least one child. This is the complete norm in today’s society.
