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Men and Woman work-life
Following the crisis of the 1930s, it was observed that women entered the labor market in large numbers. Until then, women were only responsible for housework and childcare, while men were responsible for taking care of the family by providing economic support. In recent years, this situation has changed; both men and women can work to provide economic support to their families. Even though women have entered the world of work, it is not at all easy for them. It has not been a friendly integration, as women have had to face many difficult situations such as: the inequality between them and the men in the workshop and finding the perfect balance between their professional responsibilities and their responsibilities towards their family. In her article “Why Woman Still Can’t Have It All”, Anne-Marie Slaughter explains that it is difficult for women to care for their children while focusing on their work. To present the facts as they are, she shares her own personal experience. However, I don’t agree with all her points. In another article entitled “The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism”, Helen Lewis shows us how the pandemic is affecting women in their work-life balance. This article focuses more on feminism and blames it for the inequality that exists between women and men. And that in today’s society, men are asked 7 to share the responsibilities of the home and children with women, which is supposed to help them balance their work and personal lives. In his article “Why the man can’t have it all”, Richard Dorment tries to show us the reasons why no one can have it all. I totally agree with Dorment, men can’t have it all too, this is another point that shows us that nobody can have it all. The reason why women still can’t have it all is more than a gender issue, because men still can’t have it all either.

In history, women were dominated by men in the workplace, women had to stay at home to take care of children and household chores, which was a comfortable position for men, according to feminists. A well-known scene and often to represent the family life of previous centuries. This situation has made the integration of women into the market even more difficult, making it impossible to escape discrimination. Several women in different ways have dared to attack the problem in order to bring a solution. Henley G. Brown, after a difficult childhood, is one of the women who chose to leave a legacy for the oppressed. This was confirmed when Brown said, “a book written by a near-loser who became a winner, rather than someone who, from the title, sounds like a smartass who wins all the time from the start.” Through her book, “Having it all: Love-success-sex-money: Even if you’re starting with nothing,” Henley offers straightforward advice on how a working mother can make the most of her limited time, including whether to sleep with her boss. Today, as a result of the integration of women into the working world, it has been observed that the role is reversed in some heterosexual families. Because in these homes men are as involved in the household chores as women and are involved in the education of children and other responsibilities. This is important to keep the balance especially if both parents work. This is also a proof of support and mutual respect within these households. This is not to say that their wives work, to help them focus more on their professional careers, but these efforts place men in a bad reality, “in which men now report higher rates of work-related stress than women,” Richard Dorment argues in his article (p. 559). It is also difficult for men to have it all, while women think that men can take it all. Everyone think that men have the ability to handle any situation, the reality that sets in is that it is not possible for men to have control over everything, but men try their best to support as much as they can, in the same article Richard Dorment argues, “In talking with a variety of men for this article, I found that most men say that they share responsibilities as much as circumstances allow” (p. 563 ), which proves that they are capable of taking responsibility. ), which proves that they still try to help their other half despite all the inconveniences they face, and that they also struggle with work-life balance, just like women in this situation.
There are many opportunities in today’s society for women, these opportunities drive many women to go to college for a chance to get a job. These opportunities drive many women to go to college to get their bachelor’s degree or higher. In an article, Richard Dorment states, “Nearly 60 percent of bachelor’s degrees in this country now go to women, as do graduate degrees.” (p.556). This allows women to have superiority in certain professional areas. Now women have to deal with their work and family responsibilities which always put them in a situation where they struggle to find the right balance to manage their responsibilities on both sides, some women make the choice of their family responsibilities to take care of their children, in her article Anne-Marie Slaughter said “I would stay the course as long as I had the opportunity to do a job I loved. But in January 2011, when my two-year leave of absence from public service at Princeton University ended, I rushed home as fast as I could.” (p.535) Slaughter tries to make the point that no woman can have it all since she has a family, as she will always have to make a choice between her work and family responsibilities, but feminists demand more support from men, as they believe that once the responsibilities towards the family are well shared, they will be able to have an excellent work-life balance. The few families that have overcome this situation are currently facing the coronavirus crisis, which has wiped out all the efforts these couples have made. In an article, Helen Lewis states, “Coronavirus is breaking the bargain that so many dual-income couples have made in the developed world.” (Coronavirus is a disaster for feminism). With the closing of schools, lack of childcare and babysitters, many families find themselves in a situation where one parent has to stay at home to take care of the children and the house, most of the time women have to stay at home at the expense of their jobs. The problem with this situation is that men are able to return to work more quickly and are less likely to be fired from their jobs during the pandemic, this situation shows the large gap that exists in the workplace between men and women. As society focuses on how to get a perfect balance between men and women, some questions should be asked about the global system to get a better approach.

Women and men are both victims in this situation, while women want more involvement of men to help them in their professional careers, it also puts men in the same situation that women are trying to overcome with, the main question to understand this situation is: Why today’s society demand so much sacrifice from people? With this question, the debate on gender equality would take another turn and will not be based on the fact that men and women are not equal, but what measures and conditions can be taken to have a system in which no gender can be prioritized in favor of another? In her article Anne-Marie Slaughter argue that I believe that we can have it all at the same time. But not today, not with the way Americas economy and society are currently structured. (p.557), This question opens another debate on how this system can be beneficial to both genders. But this system would only allow individual qualities to prioritize one person over another one. In conclusion, we can’t have it all, and everyone has to understand that we will all have to fight in something in order to have it all and also to maintain the balance. Following Covid-19, the world works very differently and it is clear that the concept of having it all is up for reconsideration. What makes the women’s movement responsible for women’s problems is only part of the “backlash” that Susan Faludi talked about over twenty years ago. Now we need to focus on the right question, which is what is stopping us from having it all.

Works Cited
Lewis, Helen. The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism. The Atlantic , The Atlantic Media Company , 1 Apr. 2020, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/feminism- womens-rights-coronavirus-covid19/608302/. Accessed 03 Nov. 2021.

Dorment, Richard. “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All.” They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings, 4th ed., edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. Ebook, W. W. Norton, 2018, pp. 555-575. Accessed 03 Nov. 2021.

Slaughter, Anne-Marie. Why women Still Cant Have It All. They say/I say The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings, 4th ed., edited by Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. Ebook, W. W. Norton, 2018, pp.534-554. Accessed 03 Nov. 2021

Brown, Helen Gurley. Having It All: Love-Success-Sex-Money: Even If You’re Starting with Nothing. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1983. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021

Hope, Reese. Backlash Then, Backlash Now. Jstor Daily, 27 Mar. 2021, https://daily.jstor.org/backlash-then-backlash-now/. Accessed 11, Nov. 2021