Southeast Asian mothers struggle to balance career and family

Working mothers in Southeast Asia are increasingly having to learn time management techniques to balance professional and personal demands, according to a leading survey software company, Milieu Insight. In conjunction with Mother’s Day, Milieu Insight has published insights from its latest study on Southeast Asian mothers at work. 

While women in the workforce have received countless opportunities, they face significant challenges. According to a McKinsey & Company report1, women contribute about 36 percent of Asia’s GDP, in line with the global average but there are still opportunities for women to raise their economic contribution in the region. 

The quantitative study conducted by Milieu Insight’s proprietary survey community polls 3,000 working mothers across Southeast Asia covering Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines and Thailand. 

“While women have contributed to Southeast Asia’s growth, their share of managerial positions remains below parity. Our study highlights the pressing challenges by working Southeast Asian women today, including the delicate balance between work and family commitments, self-care amidst hectic schedules, and the burden of guilt when prioritising professional responsibilities,” said Juda Kanaprach, Co-Founder and CCO, Milieu Insight.

A tough juggling act: work vs home

Working mothers in Southeast Asia are finding it tough to balance it all despite the world of work changing. 6 in 10 women in Southeast Asia struggle to find adequate time to manage both work and family commitments. 

Similarly, in comparison with other countries, data shows American mothers combine work and family in different ways but when it comes to employment, motherhood becomes a disruption. It takes over a decade for mothers’ full-time employment rate to return to 50%2. 

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Self-care struggles

Along with these challenges is the overwhelming burden of self-care due to the relentless demands of work and home life. 42% of Singaporeans and Vietnamese women report finding it increasingly difficult to prioritise their own well-being while juggling the competing demands of work and home, exceeding the regional average of 31%. 

The study also showed that 44% of those surveyed wish more people understood the difficulties they face as a working mother. 

The lack of employee well-being policies and practices in Southeast Asia to support a healthy work-life balance is much-needed with 53% of working mothers surveyed feel neutral or dissatisfied with their country’s maternity leave policy. By providing adequate resources for self-care and promoting a culture of wellness can help alleviate the strain on working mothers and contribute to their overall job satisfaction and productivity. 

1 in 5 working moms in Southeast Asia feel career impact

1 in 5 working mothers across Southeast Asia feel that being a mother has had an adverse impact on their career, with the highest percentage being in Singapore at 40%. This trend may correlate to the fact that 66% of working mothers in the region shoulder significant household responsibilities, including childcare, cleaning, and cooking. 

While Singapore boasts a relatively lower percentage of women solely responsible for household maintenance (19%), the stark contrast is evident in Indonesia, where 43% of women shoulder this responsibility alone. 

Working mothers learn time management techniques, but flexible work could help them 

55% of working mothers in Southeast Asia currently adopt innovative time management techniques to navigate the intricacies of work-life integration. With Singapore implementing new flexi-work arrangement guidelines including a 4-day work week option starting from December 1 2024, this new approach offers a progressive approach towards flexibility at work empowering mothers to take more control over their schedules. 

68% of working mothers in Southeast Asia believe remote work and flexible arrangements would enhance work-life balance and career growth, with the majority in Singapore (75%) and the Philippines (77%) sharing this sentiment. 

The need for extended leave without stigma 

About 1 in 2 working mothers in Southeast Asia have had to extend maternity leave or use unpaid leave to care for their children, with Vietnam having the highest percentage (59%). 

54% of working mothers in Singapore wish for extended leave policies to better support working mothers despite paid maternity leave being capped at 16 weeks in Singapore. However, there is a lot of stigma around mothers who take time away from work with some companies penalising parents who take maternity leave. 

Milieu Insight research suggests that with inclusivity, flexibility, and support, workplaces can create a nurturing environment where women could excel in their professional roles while fulfilling their duties as mothers.