SRI LANKA — “The Mom Penalty” is a touching, nearly three-minute film that depicts just how challenging the past year has been for women.
Undoubtedly the months of pandemic lockdown have been harsh on everyone. But it has been especially brutal for working moms. They have had to juggle endless workplace demands alongside managing an unequal load of housework, childcare and remote schooling. As a result, four times, more women than men dropped out of the workforce.
To highlight this concern, Women Empowered Global launched this film on International Women’s Day to address the elephant in the room – the Mom Penalty.
“As a working mom myself, this subject is very dear to my heart,” said Ruchi Sharma, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of HumanSense, the creative agency behind this humane work. “I know first-hand how rough the past year has been for all working moms. From having to give up a high-profile overseas job to starting on my own from scratch, juggling demanding deadlines, working longer hours, navigating the world of remote learning with a young kid, endless housework and the anxiety of ageing parents. Despite having a supportive spouse, the stress, loneliness and helplessness often erupted with me crying on the bathroom floor.”
“This film is personal. And I hope it inspires many to challenge the mom penalty that women have been through this pandemic.” Ruchi added.
All the facts on this film are taken from actual research papers, which is the worrying part. The numbers do not smile at the working moms even though they are working so much harder.
“I am so excited to announce this beautiful, meaningful and powerful movie to commemorate International Women’s Day, to celebrate, recognize and appreciate ALL Women around the world. This film takes us on a profoundly reflective and relatable journey of a working mother.
There have been many times in my path as a working mom and woman, where I faced so many struggles and personal challenges that tried to stop me from reaching my goal. This is my truth, and I want to encourage and inspire as many women as possible in my lifetime. And to remember- together, we are stronger.”
Women Empowered Global is a unique platform that empowers women through business education, networking forums, career advancement & entrepreneurial programs. With our network reach, we have a presence in over 23 countries, access six continents, and a membership of over 4,000+ members who are women in business, business leaders, global influencers, millennials, startup founders, women in leadership & management from corporate, industrial & STEM sectors. Our work is committed to United Nations SDGs. The WE. Global academy is an initiative of Women Empowered Global, where we conduct online masterclasses, mentoring and SME training.
Credits:
Creative Agency: HumanSense, Sri Lanka
Writer & Creative Director: Ruchi Sharma
Production team: X10 Productions, Sri Lanka
Executive Producer: Prasanna Kithalagama
Editor: Arngelo Pereira
Producer: Muveendra Premaratne
Audio Mix: Kasun Wickramasinghe
Project Manager: Amaashie Mahahewage
Visual footage courtesy: www.pexels.com & www.mixkit.co
Music track courtesy: CinematicAudioGroup
