The Motherhood Wall
In past blogs and conversations, we’ve talked a lot about the Sticky Floor — self-imposed thoughts, behaviors, and actions that limit women. However, today, I want to examine something that’s part of what many call the “glass ceiling” — those outside influences, systems, and structures that female leaders don’t have control over.
The Motherhood Wall is something that’s been in place for as long as women have worked. It’s a frequent form of bias that many female leaders run into. What’s interesting about it is that the Motherhood Wall actually affects mothers and women who aren’t mothers equally!
In short, it’s an assumption that men have towards women rising in leadership. Oftentimes, we will associate womanhood with motherhood automatically, because of cultural bias. We tend to assume that female leaders aren’t as committed or competent as a male leader would be in the same position. Why? Because, if there’s a chance she wants or is planning to have children, we figure, she’ll likely be preoccupied or distracted with home life responsibilities. She may not stay in our organization as long as we’d like, or she may end up with one foot in the office and the other foot at home.
Most of the time, the Motherhood Wall isn’t even made up of conscious thoughts. Most executive and HR leaders may not even realize they’re holding these assumptions. Still, they tend to hold a lot of women back.
The key to hurdling the Motherhood Wall is beginning a conversation. So many times, assumptions lead to false ideas. It’s so easy, either in the hiring process or on a regular basis, to open a dialogue about your team’s wishes, desires, and plans. It’s so much easier to ask a woman what her passions are, and where she hopes to be in five years, than to falsely assume something that will affect the entirety of her leadership journey with your organization.
Simply said, don’t jump to conclusions. Verify any assumptions you may have by asking your leaders what their plans and dreams are. Not only will this set a leadership precedent for the rest of your team; it will communicate empathy, support, and a genuine interest in her. That leadership equity is priceless, and it’s impossible to get any other way.
Have you seen the Motherhood Wall limit you or the female leaders around you? Why do you think these assumptions are so prevalent in our culture today?
