Stress and Coping Strategies Among Working Women

03 Oct 2022 CategoryGender identity and sexual orientation at work Author Umain Recommends

Originally published here.

For many people with disabilities, finding and sustaining work is a challenge. Indeed, it has been estimated that in the United States (US), only one in three (34.9%) individuals with disabilities are employed compared to 76% of their counterparts without disabilities, and this disparity appears to be increasing over time (Houtenville & Ruiz, 2012;Kraus,2017;Lauer& Houtenville, 2017). Similar employment gaps have been observed in other industrialized countries. For instance, the employment rate among working-age Canadians living with a disability is 49%, while it is 79% for those without a disability (Turcotte, 2014), and in the European Union, these figures are 47.3 and 66.9%, respectively (Eurostat, 2017). While the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) shows that employment rates vary across countries, Bthe bottom line is that, all over the world, a person with a disability is less likely to be employed than a person without a disability, often much less so^(Heymann, Stein, & de Elvira Moreno, 2014,p.4).Even when employed, workers with disabilities are more likely than their counterparts without disabilities to report underemployment, involuntary part-time or contingent employment, and lower than average salaries (Brault, 2012; Konrad, Moore, Ng, Doherty, & Breward, 2013; see also Baldridge, Beatty, Konrad, & Moore, 2016).

Notwithstanding legislation specifically targeted at promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act [1990] of 1991), the employment participation of people with disabilities is still lagging when compared to their able-bodied, and comparably educated, counterparts (WHO, 2011;see also Colella & Bruyère, 2011;Kruse&Schur,2003). A primary reason for the lower participation rates and underemployment of individuals with disabilities is that employers often harbor pessimistic views about the work-related abilities of these individuals. We note that these pessimistic views have been well-documented in the literature (e.g., Gold, Oire, Fabian, & Wewiorksi, 2012; Hernandez et al., 2008

For many people with disabilities, finding and sustaining work is a challenge. Indeed, it has been estimated that in the United States (US), only one in three (34.9%) individuals with disabilities are employed compared to 76% of their counterparts without disabilities, and this disparity appears to be increasing over time (Houtenville & Ruiz, 2012;Kraus,2017;Lauer& Houtenville, 2017). Similar employment gaps have been observed in other industrialized countries. For instance, the employment rate among working-age Canadians living with a disability is 49%, while it is 79% for those without a disability (Turcotte, 2014), and in the European Union, these figures are 47.3 and 66.9%, respectively (Eurostat, 2017). While the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) shows that employment rates vary across countries, Bthe bottom line is that, all over the world, a person with a disability is less likely to be employed than a person without a disability, often much less so^(Heymann, Stein, & de Elvira Moreno, 2014,p.4).Even when employed, workers with disabilities are more likely than their counterparts without disabilities to report underemployment, involuntary part-time or contingent employment, and lower than average salaries (Brault, 2012; Konrad, Moore, Ng, Doherty, & Breward, 2013; see also Baldridge, Beatty, Konrad, & Moore, 2016). Notwithstanding legislation specifically targeted at promoting and protecting the rights of people with disabilities (e.g., Americans with Disabilities Act [1990] of 1991), the employment participation of people with disabilities is still lagging when compared to their able-bodied, and comparably educated, counterparts (WHO, 2011;see also Colella & Bruyère, 2011;Kruse&Schur,2003).

A primary reason for the lower participation rates and underemployment of individuals with disabilities is that employers often harbor pessimistic views about the work-related abilities of these individuals. We note that these pessimistic views have been well-documented in the literature (e.g., Gold, Oire, Fabian, & Wewiorksi, 2012; Hernandez et al., 2008 The functional division of urban activities (mainly work and residence) has led people to use urban space separately. The aim of this research is to observe how urban planning affects women in dierent ways. The patriarchal conception where men’snatural attributes’are to provide protection and be the source of the family’s economic income, i.e. productive activities, while the women’s role are the reproductive and care activities have a strong influence on how cities are shaped. This gender division has led to the idea that productive and reproductive roles are carried out in completely different, distant, and unrelated spaces, segregating women in the domestic sphere and excluding them from the public sphere (McDowell, 2000;Moser, 1989;Valcárcel, 2013).

Furthermore, both genders are confronted with the friction of distance and the principle of return in a greater or lesser degree. Individuals’experience is based on the limitation to carry out their daily activities within a radius of action from home, the selection of different services or destinations to satisfy peopleneed and consequent patterns of displacement are traditionally determined by the availability of time, budget, and transportation mode. However, aspects such as age, income, primary activity and gender will have a level of influence on this (Ellegård & Vilhelmson, 2004;Næss, 2006).According to the evidence of colocation between housing and employment provided by Suárez Lastra and Delgado Campos (2007,p. 2010), distance has a more significant impact on the location of paid work. Although revealing, their research does not analyse the information by gender, which would reveal very different realities of employability for each household member. Salazar (1999,p. 132) makes it very clear that, in the specific case of women, the domestic organisation (whose immediate environment of activity is the house and the neighbourhood) must be added to the labour market, the urban structure, the location of residential areas, and the public transportation network, aspects faced by the population in general.

Also, Hanson and Pratt (1991,2003), Fanning Madden (1981), and Mojica Segovia (2014) pointed this out in their writings. This study comprises four variables associated with the reproductive work of working women living in the Monterrey Metropolitan Zone -MMZ- Main Map: marital status, number of children, age of the youngest child, and relationship to the head of house- hold. The particular interest is to relate them to the  geographical location of women’s paid work and determine if there are differences in the distance and concentration of women between the female productive work-residence trajectories.

Stress  is defined  as a  situation  that poses  a  risk  to  one's  health  or  is  beyond one's  capacity  for  adjustment.  Stress  may come from inside a person or it might come from the outer  world. It  is a necessary and unavoidable component as a result of rising living  standards  and  competency  [1].  An individual's routine, physical, mental, social, and  spiritual  well-being  are  all  disrupted. Stress is  a vital component of life  and may have both good and bad effects [2]. In  the  present  period,  women  are actively  contributing  to  the  social  and economic  development  of  the  country  [3].

Women  now  have  more  career  options because  to  expanding  urbanisation  and industrialization,  and  they  are entering  the workforce in greater numbers. According to the 2011 census, India's female literacy rate has  climbed  to  65.46  percent,  and  the country's growing urbanization  has resulted in higher rates of female labour engagement in the rural and urban sectors,  respectively, of  26.1%  and  13.8%,  respectively  [4].  In contrast to their colleagues, who do not have to be homemakers, the number of working women is rising daily.

Due to the challenges, they  have  in  balancing  job  and  home obligations, their multiple roles are stressing out their lives. According to a US poll, 60% of  working women  said  that  family  issues are mostly brought on by work stress [5].  Since  decades,  women  have  been seen as being in charge of the bulk of home tasks  including  cooking,  cleaning,  raising children,  caring for  the  elderly, etc.,  while men  were  primarily  responsible  for providing  for  their  families. 

These  firmly defined gender roles, however, had to evolve as more and more women entered the labour and  pursued  jobs  [6].  Unfortunately,  as  a result of what transpired, women today have more  responsibilities  than ever  before,  and they must  manage  the conflicting demands of  their  job  and  home  responsibilities  [7]. Around  64%  of  all  family  labour  is performed  by  employed  women,  and  as compared  to  married  males,  their involvement was especially significant when it  comes  to  work  done  inside  (78%)  and childcare (67%). It is important to note that Kashmiri women, who live  in a patriarcal culture,  are  also  victims  of  this  issue  [8]. They  have  to  balance  conventional  tasks with managing  their  careers.  Thus,  it is an additional responsibility for working women.

Some  of  the  coping  strategies  employed women  can  exercise  to  deal  with  routine stressors of life are: 1. Stop  being  perfect  as  perfection  is  a myth, stay the way you are as a person. Stop  being  so  hard  to  yourself,  you can’t  keep  everyone happy.  Let people accept  you  the  way  you are,  else  you will  end  up  being  drained  and exhausted. 2. Don’t  start  fights,  it  is  an  irksome character. Stay  calm, here to  everyone and don’t look for faults in others. 3. Be  respectful  all the  times,  stay polite and value people around you. 4. Learn to let go, letting go is quality of a strong  person.  So  for  your  peace  of mind  let  go  the  things,  situations  and people that provoke negativity. 5. Learn to adjust, never sacrifice; because once  you  sacrifice  something  for someone  it  will  become  routine.  Try your best to adjust as it is temporary and will help you in adapting. 6. Seek  approval  from  within  and  from your husband  only. Respect others  but seeking  approval  from  everyone  is miserable. 7. The first step to tackle stress at home is teamwork with  family  members. Good teamwork  requires  the  concept  of helping  each  other.  It  begins  with everyone doing an equal share or some share of work. 8. Good  communication  is  integral  for  a sound  family  health.  By  talking  to people around you and inviting to their sense of civility, you can get their help in doing some  home chores and lessen your workload and stress. 9. Practice  Religious  rituals  and Meditation  as  it  can  produce  a  deep state of  peace  and serene in mind  and can benefit  both  emotional and  mental well-being. 10.  Perform  deep  Breathing  exercises, yoga, jogging and brisk walks. 11. Have some  entertainment and fun, you will  feel  less  overwhelmed  by  the stressors you face. 12. Have  Balanced  diet,  as  it  helps  to counter  the  impact  of  stress  by fortifying the immune system. 13. You are  important,  care  for  your own body. A  bot bath, sound  body massage and  other  form  of  pampering  re-energizes  you  and  improve  your emotional well-being. 14. A vital way to balance work and family stress is sound time Management.

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