Returning to employment from maternity leave remains a major challenge for too many women. In Brazil, 40% of women leave the workforce after becoming mothers, and this number remains consistent for up to five years after childbirth (Source: FGV, 2018).
This statistic reveals not only the extent of gender inequality, but also an outdated perception of motherhood’s role in a woman’s professional life.
To help change this reality, LinkedIn and R/GA and are launching the movement, #It’sNotJustAPause, a campaign designed to encourage the re-engagement of women returning to the workforce and to redefine the value of maternity leave within the professional landscape. To consider maternity as a “mum MBA” when new skills are acquired.
Maternity leave is still seen by many companies as a break in a woman’s career, rather than a time of development. According to a study by Movimento Mulheres 360 and Filhos no Currículo, 98% of 800 surveyed mothers reported that they developed new skills during their leave, including emotional intelligence, problem-solving, time management, negotiation, and resilience, among others.
Even so, the market continues to treat motherhood as a professional gap, ignoring the positive impact these competencies can bring to the workplace.
The Global Gender Gap in Careers report further shows that women interrupt their careers earlier and for longer periods than men, often returning to roles in areas different from where they left, which directly hinders their professional growth and development.
