We believe that it is possible to enjoy motherhood and a satisfying career at the same time and also that it takes skills, confidence, new thinking and support to do so.
Our experience is that many competent, skilled women want to work in a way that will allow them to grow and develop but that recognises the challenges of raising a young family.
The simple truth is that combining work and family is a huge balancing act.
This is particularly true at the point of transition into being a parent. The focus is likely to shift. Career ambitions are integrated into a bigger picture of life.
The experience of women who do successfully return to work, with appropriate support, is that they can learn to be more effective, work ‘smarter’ and have greater levels of loyalty and commitment to the organisation that has helped make this happen.
In our view, it is important to review how the organisation is approaching and managing maternity as a whole and whether more can be done to benefit from the unique contribution of working mothers.