A Woman’s Nation: What Do Women Today Want?

So who is today’s woman and what does she want? As one of our readers commented, it’s certainly not like in the old days when Dad brought home the bacon and Mom fried it. The Shriver Report looks at how women’s changing roles are affecting all aspects of their lives, with concerns like how does she define power and success.

With more men forced to stay home due to unemployment, women are now driving the economy. It’s a transformational moment, with working women now the norm. For the first time, mothers have become the primary breadwinners in nearly half of American families.

Both women and men are struggling to adjust to these changes, with conversation and compromises at every turn. If the wife makes more money, does that become an issue in the relationship? If she’s always tired from working and taking care of the home, what about the marriage?

There’s no one way to respond to this evolving family dynamic. Some women today are still tough on themselves and feel guilty about the work/family pull. Others no longer want to do it all – being superwoman and an expert at multi-tasking is getting old. Husbands are stepping up to the plate in record numbers. And some stay-at-home dads, who take their job very seriously, don’t want to be told what to do.

More conversations are going on around the kitchen table. And it looks as if learning to negotiate, so it’s a win/win for both, is becoming an art form. Want to weigh in? Click on ‘comments’ at the bottom righthand corner of this post and follow the prompts. Write about the compromises you and your partner are making. You can sign in as anonymous – it’s easy and we’d love to hear from you!