Not just a glass ceiling: Working moms on the ‘maternal wall’ that can stall careers

When Grace Adeniyi-Ogunyankin went into labour with her second child early, she was in the middle of grading her students’ work.

“My closest friend was telling me to go to the hospital. My partner was like, `Let’s go to the hospital,’ but I’m like, `No, I have to finish this because once I have this baby, I don’t know how I’m going to do it,”’ the Queen’s University associate professor recalled.

“This is how wild it can be sometimes because you don’t want to feel like oh, I’m not doing my work.”

Adeniyi-Ogunyankin’s insistence on finishing her marking despite being on the cusp of one of her family’s most important moments was a product of the pressure she and other women feel when juggling motherhood and their careers.

The challenges they encounter form what some call a “maternal wall:” the ways that negative perceptions of mothers in the workforce can block opportunities for career advancement.

For many, the maternal wall crops up when employers and peers start to doubt their ability to do their jobs because they’re also raising kids.

A 2023 report from international non-profit Mothers in Science found one-third of women working in the sciences while raising children had their competence questioned by employers and colleagues after becoming a parent.

But the phenomenon is not contained to a particular field.

“It’s shocking how prevalent it is,” said Allison Venditti, founder of advocacy group Moms at Work.

You might assume there would be less of it in areas like health care, which have historically employed a higher number of women, but there are examples of it everywhere, she said.

It even affects women who aren’t pregnant and don’t have kids, Venditti said, because many see them as a “breeding horse” as soon they hit the typical child-bearing years.

“People are looking at you going, ‘I wonder when she’s going to have a kid,”’ Venditti said.

“I’ve had conversations with the human resources person when people are looking at layoffs and whatever and they’re like, ‘Well, how many more good years does she have left?”’

If women have kids,

Venditti said they are frequently become the “default” for childcare and housework, but their employers often view these responsibilities as a distraction from work. If the demands of child-rearing become too steep, mothers are commonly expected to put their careers aside.

“When couples are having these discussions about whose job to protect ... they’re focusing on the person who’s making more money and that is predominantly men,” Venditti said.

Statistics Canada found women between the ages of 25 and 54 earned 89 cents for every dollar made by men in 2021.

Those who take time off for caregiving often find the wage gap is even larger because their absence can affect seniority and the opportunities open to them.

Some companies are trying to help with the challenges of motherhood.

Apparel brand Patagonia, for example, provides workers with on-site child care at its headquarters and one of its distribution centres.

Consulting firm PwC offers maternity top-ups for birth mothers, financial support for parents who adopt children, fertility coverage and parental leave coaching aimed at helping workers focus on their family while away and then return to work with their longterm career goals in mind.