Let’s cut to the chase: the tech industry’s practice of funding egg freezing for women isn’t primarily about supporting female empowerment or families. It’s really more about crafting a favorable image, especially given the criticism these companies have faced for not being particularly supportive of women. For those outside Silicon Valley, this reveals another layer of economic inequality that deserves attention.
Much of the media coverage surrounding Facebook and Apple’s egg-freezing benefits often focuses on the notion that these perks are meant to enable women to postpone motherhood for the sake of their careers. It’s as if the message is, “Why have kids when you can keep contributing to our profits?” However, many women see through this narrative. Personally, my decision to delay parenthood was less about climbing the corporate ladder and more about the practicalities and costs of raising children alone.
The belief that women are merely waiting for a promotion before starting families is misleading. As Melanie Thompson, an author and advocate, points out, once a woman reaches that coveted position, would she truly give it up to start a family?
What’s truly lacking in the half-hearted support offered to working mothers is the provision of childcare.
Commendable Initiatives and the Childcare Gap
Firstly, let’s commend Facebook and similar companies for providing paid maternity and paternity leave—an excellent and often rare initiative that we hope more will adopt. But once a child is born and begins to babble, what happens to the working parent trying to return to their job?
For many mothers, re-entering the workforce means finding someone to care for their child. Despite the fact that over 40% of working families rely on non-family members for childcare during the day, incidents in 2013 highlighted the serious issues in the under-regulated childcare industry. This situation is complicated.
During my time writing about finances and parenting, I’ve had to counsel many women on the harsh realities of returning to work. If all your earnings go toward childcare, is it even worth it? Yet, staying in the workforce is often beneficial for maintaining skills, contacts, and personal well-being. While tech employees may have access to premium childcare options—often costing as much as private school tuition—subsidizing egg freezing instead of actual childcare reveals a broader commentary on how we support working mothers today.
The Role of Nonprofits
Consider one of the leading nonprofits for women in the workforce, Dress for Success. This organization helps over 70,000 women a year by providing professional attire, coaching, and financial education (full disclosure: I support this program). Many mothers in these programs, who are often struggling to make ends meet, manage to secure full-time jobs with benefits. This is a significant achievement—but then reality hits. When their children fall ill, they frequently cannot make it to work. Many of these mothers are single and lack a support system. What about those random school closures? Too often, these situations lead to job loss for mothers.
Childcare is the missing piece that Dress for Success can’t currently provide, even though they advocate for better employer support. All the hard work these women put in to secure employment and improve their financial situations can unravel due to childcare issues.
A Call for Change
So, Facebook, if you can offer perks like dog daycare and spa treatments, where is the childcare support for working parents? Perhaps it’s because the biotech field is seen as more glamorous than the day-to-day realities of parenting. Let’s face it: eggs are not babies yet. They don’t require diaper changes or vaccination appointments. Funding egg freezing may be more economical—at about $20,000—than providing comprehensive on-site childcare. However, the commitment of actual motherhood may not fit neatly into corporate image-building, even though, like providing on-site meals and rest areas, childcare could greatly enhance employee satisfaction and improve lives for working families.
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In summary, while companies like Facebook may be taking steps to support women through egg freezing, the real challenge lies in addressing the urgent need for accessible childcare. Without this crucial support, many working mothers face an uphill battle balancing their careers and family responsibilities.