The Women’s Affairs Unit at the College of Pharmacy, University of Baghdad, held an in-person lecture titled “Challenges Faced by Working Women,” presented by Lecturer Shaimaa Louay Abdulhadi, a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the challenges women face, including pressures at work and home, and societal expectations, which can make achieving a work-life balance a difficult challenge.
The event covered several key topics, including: the motivations for work among women, the importance of work-life balance, obstacles faced in the workplace such as rejection, gender discrimination, harassment, the distance between work and home, and the lack of childcare support. It also addressed societal views on working women, as well as family issues like a husband’s reluctance to accept his wife’s employment, difficulties in raising children, balancing work with household duties, and challenges in family relationships.
The speaker emphasized proposing solutions to address these challenges, such as: effective time management through a schedule, prioritizing tasks both at work and home, the need for a third-party support system at home, creating personal time that includes adequate sleep, healthy eating, relaxation, hobbies, socializing with friends, and connecting with nature. She also encouraged trying to avoid stressors and finding mental balance between work and home life.
The workshop concluded with the idea that by setting daily priorities and organizing time wisely, women can enjoy being both the manager of their home and a professional employee.
