So ladies, I'm sure if you're like me and any of the women I know personally, you have been running hither and yon to keep all of your hats - home, work, parents, children, finances, and relationships - in the air all at once. And sometimes, you find yourself wondering, “Is it just me? Am I the only one feeling like I'm an exotic juggling act in the three ring circus of life trying to keep all these things balanced?” Well, shout hallelujah and signal the ringmaster to shine the spotlight on you in the center ring because the answer is a resounding No! You are not alone! Nielsen's latest comprehensive report Women of Tomorrow: a Study of Women around the World confirms women around the globe are feeling pressure like never before and are stressed!
Nielsen
is known for its measurement capabilities and for analyzing consumer behavior
and trends in media, online, mobile and more around the globe. We recently
conducted this study among nearly 6500 women in 21 countries throughout Africa,
Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, representing 60 percent
of the world's population and 78 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. We included women in both developed
markets - like ours - and several emerging markets like India and Nigeria.
Some of
the key findings:
• 90
percent of women believe their role is evolving for the better from gender
equality to workplace opportunities.
• Women
control $12 trillion in global spending of $18 trillion, but want to share
jointly in life responsibilities and decision making
• While
women are indeed increasingly empowered, we are increasingly stressed.
Women
everywhere around the world report being pressured for time, rarely have the
time to unwind, feel stressed and overworked most of the time. And yes, want
just a tad bit of help from the fellas' from time to time.
How we
cope with stress varies between developed and emerging markets. Our sisters in
emerging countries are often faced with maintaining everyday basics like food
and clothing. The percentage of
their household spend on food is staggering. In Nigeria, for example, 40
percent of household spending is on food, vs. 7 percent in the U.S. So if women
in emerging countries found themselves with any additional dollars it would go
toward savings, clothes and education. While women in developed countries like
ours are more likely to use extra cash for luxuries like vacations, savings and
paying off debt.
In
conducting this research, women were divided into three segments - daughters
(average age 30), mothers (average age 47) and grandmothers (average age
67). The high stress factor is
universal, but it breaks down generationally. The “daughter” generation is the most stressed. This stands to reason as this woman's
family is young and she has not likely achieved her full earning
potential. Among “mothers” the
stress is mid-level.
Makes
sense because by the average age of 47, income levels are (usually) higher; but
finances are still cause for concern. Lastly, “grandmothers” are the least stressed segment. Perhaps not surprisingly,
grandmothers are also most likely to believe that they have successfully
achieved that delicate work-life balance.
Consider
this ladies: if based on our global spending power of $12 trillion we were our
own country we'd be about the size of the United States (based on GDP). That's
a lot of power. So, there's no doubt that you and I and our sisters across the
globe are agents of change. Can you imagine how much more powerful we'd be if
we got a little more support on the home front? So, when's the last time you
actually asked for the help you need? I'm just sayin'.
Cheryl
Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government
relations for Nielsen.
