As the world celebrated International Women’s Day last month, I feel compelled to write about the struggles women face—struggles that are often ignored, even by women themselves. This isn’t to say that men don’t face their own challenges. Perhaps, in writing this, I’m also extending an invitation to men to reflect on their own unacknowledged struggles.
I acknowledge the many men who, consciously or unconsciously, have supported women through these struggles. Yet, it is time to focus on the often-overlooked burdens women carry, particularly in the workplace.
The Hidden Disadvantages Women Face
From the very start of their careers, women often begin with a disadvantage. The conversion ratio of female students entering the workforce is estimated to be just 25%. This means that only a quarter of women transition from education into full-time employment compared to their male counterparts. But the challenges don’t stop there. With fewer women entering the workforce, the talent pipeline at the middle management level suffers, with succession maps dominated by men.
At one of the organizations I worked with, we recognized this gap and used a simple yet powerful tool: pink-colored markers to highlight available female talent in succession planning. This small but intentional move forced line managers to confront their unconscious biases and focus on mentoring women into leadership roles.
Despite widespread efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)—including flexibility, family-friendly policies, and awareness of workplace biases—gender parity remains a distant goal. Social inclusion has advanced the DEI journey by allowing families to redefine gender roles and split responsibilities more equitably. Still, there is much more to be done.
The Emotional Labor Women Carry
As a humanistic therapist alongside my corporate role, I’ve come to realize that emotional needs are vastly undervalued in workplaces. One of the most fundamental human needs is to be seen and validated—not just as a gender, but as a whole person with intellect, emotions, and resilience.
The emotional labor that women carry—whether balancing careers, family obligations, or personal challenges—often goes unnoticed. There is a deep need to be validated in the roles we play, to be recognized as “good enough,” and to be told to take care of ourselves after a particularly tough day or week. We need spaces where we can express emotional fatigue, without judgment, and where we are supported in slowing down and self-regulating to manage both personal and professional challenges.
Some might argue that corporate environments are not the place for emotional support—that companies are meant to focus on work output, not personal feelings. They would say that it’s the employee’s responsibility to manage their own lives with the support of flexible policies like daycare, maternity leave, or work-from-home options.
While these policies are important, they fail to address the root issue: emotional burnout. Today, businesses are facing unprecedented challenges. High-profile CEO departures and massive corporate shifts are a testament to the struggles businesses are experiencing in balancing delivery with maintaining a healthy workforce. So, the question becomes: Could addressing employees’ emotional needs help alleviate some of these challenges?
Rethinking Workplace Culture: From Output to Empathy
It’s time to acknowledge that emotional labor—particularly the “life emotional workload” women bear—is a real and critical factor in workplace success. The guilt that many full-time working mothers feel, the biases against single women, the pressures of raising children and managing family life, the constant juggling of schedules for kids, tutors, and doctors—all while ensuring tasks at work are completed to perfection—are just the tip of the iceberg.
Women also face the stress of caring for aging parents, sacrificing career opportunities to maintain a sense of family priority, and the overwhelming fatigue of “keeping it all together.” This emotional burden, while invisible to many, is one of the key factors limiting women’s ability to thrive in their careers.
Perhaps the most radical idea we can introduce in corporate spaces is to humanize the workplace by recognizing and valuing emotional labor. To do this, we must create “containers” for these emotions—safe, non-judgmental spaces where employees can express themselves with respect, empathy, and understanding. Workplaces should be places where emotional well-being is seen as a strength, not a weakness, and where employees are not expected to mask their emotions in the name of productivity.
Moving Towards Human-Centered Workspaces
The challenge, then, is not just in implementing policies like flexible hours or leadership programs. It’s about changing the culture to create a truly human-centered workplace. This doesn’t mean coddling employees or abandoning accountability; it means fostering an environment where people feel seen, heard, and respected as complete individuals, with all the emotional complexity that entails.
Women are often expected to excel at managing their emotional workload without acknowledging the toll it takes. But when we validate these emotional experiences and provide the support needed to navigate them, we unlock the true potential of individuals in the workplace.
As leaders and colleagues, we must ask: Can we create a space where every person—woman or man—can be authentic, vulnerable, and supported without fear of judgment? A workplace where the emotional complexity of life is seen not as a liability but as a powerful force for growth and productivity?
Conclusion: A New Vision of Success
Redefining success in the workplace is not just about financial metrics or business performance. True success means cultivating environments where emotional well-being is valued, and where individuals can fully thrive—not just professionally, but personally as well.
By supporting emotional labor and creating spaces where employees are seen as whole human beings, we can create workspaces that empower everyone to reach their fullest potential. This, ultimately, is the true definition of success in today’s world—one that values people for who they are, not just what they do.
The writer is Head of Human Resources, Tapal Tea(pvt) Ltd.
Amra.mubashir1@gmail.com
