Abstract:
1. Introduction
The majority of studies concentrate on labor market involvement, ignoring
the quality of life (QOL) of working mothers, even though the Working
mother's economic participation in Sri Lanka is growing. The affordability
and availability of childcare, mental health concerns, and work-life balance
are among the challenges faced by working mothers worldwide. But these
challenges are further exacerbated in Sri Lanka due to cultural norms, a
lack of alternatives for childcare, and a lack of workplace assistance.
Improving their well-being and advancing gender equality in Sri Lanka
need addressing these particular issues.
2. Research Methodology
A pragmatic, mixed-method approach is used in this study to investigate
the coping strategies, family relationships, wellbeing, and job satisfaction of
working mothers, through both quantitative surveys and qualitative
interviews using the WHOQOL-BREF and PGWBI questionnaires. Through
crowdsourcing and random sampling, 75 respondents were chosen from a
population of 3.7 million working mothers, allowing for a thorough
examination of both individual and systemic issues. NVivo is used to
process qualitative data for thematic analysis.
3. Findings and Discussion
The study assesses working mothers' quality of life in Sri Lanka,
emphasizing the impact of professional responsibilities, family support,
and job stability on wellbeing. According to the findings, 83.7% of women
feel secure in their jobs, which improves their quality of life. However,
issues like time constraints (81.3%), financial strains (49.3%), and frequent
guilt (57.3%) over juggling work and family obligations have an impact on
job satisfaction, which is consistent with the goal of examining mothers'
difficulties and coping mechanisms.
4. Conclusion and Implications
The complex challenges faced by working mothers managing work and
family are examined in this study, which highlights variations between
different industries and employment sectors. It is anticipated that the
results will facilitate childcare, advance gender equality, and impact
employment laws.
