Why Arab Women Should Never Quit Work After Getting Married

Perfectly balancing a family and a career is the hardest equation and it is the most agonizing struggle every woman faces. You have worked all your life towards building a career and then suddenly, you are tempted to quit it all when you feel supported emotionally and financially by a man.

Suddenly, you are bored, bitter, have no sense of accomplishment and you keep asking yourself, “What if…?” I understand that after your first child comes into this world, it’s a totally different game and just finding a suitable job is a challenge. Yet until then, you need to remind yourself of all the reasons why quitting your job after marriage is a big mistake.

 

 

 

Sense of pride

 

 

It is not just you who will be proud of yourself, your husband will brag about your success to his friends and family and he will feel that his partner is an equal. Not every man feels intimidated when you succeed and thrive in your career — only insecure losers do.

 

 

 

Life goals

 

 

As exciting as the married life can be, you need a life goal other than making your partner happy. You need to make YOU happy, complete and successful. You do not want your life to revolve around house chores. Having life goals is healthy for your soul and your marriage.

 

 

 

You won’t lose yourself

 

 

Marriage and motherhood can take a toll on you. Being a parent is soul consuming. It’s beautiful — don’t get me wrong — but sometimes, you just feel you need something that is solely yours. You can be the perfect housewife, take care of your kids and husband and still maintain a career.

There will definitely be compromises when you are a working mom, but you can at least try to find a job that keeps that fire inside of you bright. Don’t ever be a house chore zombie.

 

 

 

Your income, your rules

 

 

What if your husband all of a sudden stops financially supporting you or the house? What if you need to spoil yourself with an unnecessary item or a trip because you are too stressed? What if your husband loses his job and you can’t offer any support?

You just don’t have to ask anyone for anything. Some women find it too difficult to ask for money. You don’t need to go through that.

 

 

 

Functional distraction

 

 

There is nothing more insulting in this world than being called “fadya”, “tafha” or “dramatic” when you fight with your husband. For some reason, it always comes back to you being blamed for not having a job, so you’re just obsessing over anything.

This excuse is infuriating, but sometimes it’s true. You have a lot of time on you to overanalyze his every move. When you have a job, that extra time you waste thinking about meaningless things will be productive instead.

 

 

 

It’s your plan B

 

 

You might think you have the perfect relationship and man, but let’s face it: People get divorced when you least expect it and it could happen to you. You need a support system other than your parents when you’re on your own. Kill the fear of being single and broke. Always be ready for a time when sh*t hits the fan.

 

 

 

You don’t have to choose

 

 

You can have it all. It doesn’t have to be a man or a life of your own. The perfect balance is exhausting as hell, but it is worth every single day your alarm goes off at 7 AM. It’s not a job, it’s protection and self-preservation.

 

 

 

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