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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-31/south-korea-69-hour-working-week-solution-for-population/102296716>
'South Korea is grappling with twin problems: its population is ageing rapidly,
and workers are grinding themselves to the bone.
In the search for solutions, the government recently proposed extending the
work week to create greater flexibility for families, but women say the move
would only further entrench traditional gender roles.
It leaves many mothers facing the age-old conundrum of finding a work-life
balance in a culture stacked against them, while younger women are less and
less inclined to start their own families.
For Kim Sae Hee, the daunting reality is she will likely have to quit a job she
loves to cope with the demands of being a mother.
Sae Hee and her husband assumed they could manage their careers and have a
couple of kids.
"When I went back to work, the idea of having a second child completely
disappeared," she said.
With her husband stuck at the office working very long hours, it has fallen on
Sae Hee to manage the duties at home.
"It's hard because I, as a mother, have to take on more of these things," she
said.
For now, it's tough but manageable, as the day care hours for her daughter,
Ain, roughly match her working hours.
But that will change when Ain moves to kindergarten, and then school. By then,
Sae Hee feels she will have to give up her job.'
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
