THERE is no doubt that work is a human right and that women like men want to prove their worth and pursue their ambitions. Women constitute the bulk of our society, whose role in life cannot be overlooked. Women are mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of men and their roles as mothers are different from their roles as sisters, wives and daughters.

Women have a great role to play in society. They are regarded as the object of realisation of humankind’s aspirations, trainers of society. A woman develops every human being and the nation.

Culturally, the woman’s job has always been indoors, always in the backyard of everything while the man has always been outside in the public eye. It is assumed that the primary goal of each woman is to establish a family and she embarks on achieving that through looking for a life partner in marriage and each partner will have a role to play for the continuation of family life.

The women of the 1950s and early sixties were the domesticated housewifes and mothers who cooked, cleaned, and sewed, while wearing the latest fashions topped with that disillusioned beaming smile. A marriage was when the man’s duties were to take care of all the financial responsibilities at home and the woman would do all the work within the home as well as bearing children. The husband was committed to working for the maintenance of the family, satisfying the needs of his home and to provide ways and means of comfort. The work of each party was always complementary to the success of the family and therefore both parties had to recognise each other’s role.

The first time women had real jobs was during the Second World War when men were away and there was a shortage in the workforce and thus the recruitment of women into the working field. They experienced real jobs — not just being behind a store counter or in a hats shop.

The outcome was very good as the women did the work in exactly the same manner as the men.

Women of the 21st century stand tall. The woman of today stands tall and proud in her black Armani suit while playing the roles of career woman, mother, wife, domestic organiser, topped with that “I’ve made it’’ smile.

The two images have more in common than most would want to admit despite being generations apart. The main thing that has really changed for the modern woman is the fact that her workload has doubled as a result of her dual role. The effects of this duality are being felt through stress and guilt.

With the development of community, multi-media, the proliferation of recreational goods and services and the dependence on money to buy all the requirements of life, which have become countless, the need to work together at home and outside becomes necessary for women who are facing additional challenges along with existing burdens.

With women at work, negative phenomena begin to appear in society, but no one realises the adverse effects of the need for women to work.