Flexibilty & Empathy: What Working Mothers Truly Need to Excel

By: Priyanka Vyas, Content Writer

Celebrate Mother’s Day with insights from leading women professionals on how organizations can support working mothers through inclusive workplace policies, flexibility, leadership opportunities, and career growth. Explore challenges of motherhood, women returning to work, workplace inclusion, and work-life balance.

A mother is asuperhero in disguise, providing unconditional love, comfort, and support. She is the first teacher and role model who instills wisdom, values, and holds everything together even during the most challenging times.

But motherhood often comes at the cost of a woman’s ambition. Research shows that almost 73% of women quit their jobs within two years after having a child, due to limited access to childcare, inflexible nature of the working environment, and social norms.

Statistics indicate that only 27% of women resume formal employment post a maternity leave, while 46% report not having support as one of the main causes of leaving their career path. This includes both lack of childcare and family support.

Ashigher number of women continues to re-join the workforce, motherhood remains a determining factor for the longevity of their careers.

For mothers re-entering professional spaces after maternity, it becomes imperative for organizations to become more sensitive toward their realities.

Navigating challenges like role stagnation, workplace bias, and limited promotion opportunitieslargely result in compromised career progression after motherhood. Women struggle the most with increasingskill gaps during career breaksas it becomes the most defining obstacle. The absence of inclusive workplace policies and long-term flexibility continues to affect both retention and career growth for working mothers.

As a solution, organizations and society must begin to view motherhood not as a professional limitation or a pit stop, but as an enduring phase in a woman’s life that can successfully coexist with ambition, leadership, and career growth.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, Women Entrepreneurs Review magazineshares insightful excerpts from leading women professionals and working mothers on how organizations can rethink their strategies and polices around career growth for working mothers.

An Evolved Lens To View Inclusion, Equity &Leadership

Shruti Mishra - Founder & CEO of IImage Stereo Marcom exclaims that becoming a mother helped her develop a more realistic connection between leadership and workplace culture. “Motherhood has deeply influenced the kind of workplace I wanted to create and the values I wanted my organization to stand for. Once you become a mother, you begin to understand that talent and ambition do not exist in isolation. Every individual carries responsibilities, emotional realities, family commitments and personal challenges that often remain unseen. That realization changed the way I looked at inclusion, equity and leadership.” 

Shruti added that becoming an entrepreneur gave her the liberty to build workplaces that she always believed could exist. “As I moved from corporate life into entrepreneurship, I was clear that I did not want to build a workplace where women felt they had to choose between professional ambition and personal responsibilities. I wanted to create an environment where people, especially women, felt respected, heard and supported during every stage of life. That belief shaped our hiring philosophy, our work culture and our policies. Today, we proudly have more women in our office than men and that is a reflection of conscious choices rather than coincidence. We encourage flexibility, understanding, mentorship, and growth based on capability rather than circumstances. We support working mothers, young professionals and women returning to careers with equal commitment.”

Ankita Ahluwalia, Senior Vice President, IndusInd Bank elaborates that lasting perspectives on inclusion are formed when leadership is tested in real-life situations. “Having spent two and a half decades in banking leadership roles across global and Indian institutions, I’ve learned that inclusion cannot remain a policy document, it has to be experienced in everyday culture. Motherhood gave me that perspective in a very real way. I’ve also been fortunate to work with leaders and mentors who genuinely respected equality and judged people by their capability, commitment, and outcomes rather than circumstance. I strongly believe in creating environments where people are trusted, supported, and empowered to deliver their best work while navigating real life. I believe in celebrating consistent progress and building psychological safety, but I’m equally firm that accountability and outcomes matter deeply. The most inclusive workplaces are not the softest, but the ones that help people perform at their highest potential..!”

She solidifies the fact by explaining that her professional journey after motherhood has strengthened their emotional intelligence and people management skills. “25 years across multinational and Indian private banks taught me how to lead through complexity. Motherhood taught me something deeper - that showing up consistently, especially on the hardest days, is leadership in its purest form. I remember preparing for an important leadership review while simultaneously helping my son through exam stress at home during Covid. That phase taught me that people are often carrying pressures you cannot see, and empathy & performance are not opposites. Raising my son taught me to let go of perfection and focus on progress, one intentional step at a time.”

Speaking from a deep personal experience Ankita reflects, “That mindset transformed how I lead teams. I don’t expect perfection; I encourage resilience, ownership, empathy, and forward movement. At the same time, accountability and outcomes remain non-negotiable. Motherhood gave me the ability to balance humanity with high performance and lead with both strength & compassion every single day.”

Inclusive Workplaces Require Flexibility, Empathy &Strong Institutional Support

Deepshikha Sharma, CEO, Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals emphasizes in creating inclusive workplaces for working mothers, especially in emotionally demanding sectors like healthcare. “In the healthcare industry, working mothers often balance demanding schedules, emergency responsibilities and emotional pressure alongside care giving at home. Building a truly inclusive workplace requires flexibility, empathy and strong institutional support. Healthcare organisations should encourage flexible shifts where possible, provide mental wellness support, and ensure women returning from maternity breaks continue to receive equal opportunities for growth and leadership.”

Dr. Deepshikha notes how workplace empathy and institutional support can play a transformative role for working mothers. “It is equally important to create a culture where motherhood is not viewed as a professional limitation. In high-pressure medical environments, supportive leadership, mentorship and understanding teams can make a significant difference. When hospitals actively support working mothers, they not only retain skilled professionals but also create more compassionate, resilient and people-centric workplaces that benefit both employees and patients alike.”

Workplaces where motherhood is viewed as strength and not an obstacle, have a competitive edge amongst others, says Bindu Sharma, Founder & Creative Director, Mavitrra.“Organisations can build a more inclusive and supportive environment for working mothers by fostering a culture of flexibility, empathy, and trust. Flexible work arrangements, open communication, and outcome-driven performance evaluation help women balance their professional aspirations with caregiving responsibilities more effectively. It is equally important to create leadership opportunities where motherhood is seen as strength rather than a limitation.”

As an entrepreneur she believes in fostering environment that empowers women in particular. “As a founder, I believe workplaces must evolve to support women through different phases of life while ensuring they continue to grow professionally with confidence. At Mavitrra, we value collaboration, understanding, and flexibility, as these elements help create a healthier and more empowering work culture. When organisations genuinely invest in supporting working mothers, they not only strengthen their teams but also build a more resilient, diverse, and future-ready workplace.”

Working Mothers’ Achievements Powered by Strong Support System

“I may not do everything perfectly, but I always try to give my best — both at work and at home.” says Kanika Chhabra, Founder, V Spark Communications.

Kanika shares that her journey as a working mother has never been about perfection, but about showing up every day at work with resilience and purpose.“Being a working mother has never been about “balancing everything perfectly” for me — it has been about showing up every single day with love, responsibility, and purpose.Work has always been a big part of who I am. Yes, I took a small break during maternity, but I was back to work within 3–4 months. Not because it was easy, but because I truly love what I do.” 

“At the same time, motherhood changed me completely. My son is my biggest blessing. But honestly, no woman does it all alone. Whatever I have managed till today is also because of the support system around me — especially my father and now my little son, who motivates me in the sweetest ways. The feeling is truly special when your child asks you, “What are you wearing to office today?” It makes every struggle feel worth it.”

Offering deeper insights, she continues that workplace culture becomes meaningful when companies acknowledge that employees’ ambition and their real-life responsibilities go hand in hand. “I strongly believe amother’s achievements are also supported by the men who stand beside her, encourage her, and help her move beyond boundaries. At V Spark, we deeply understand that employees are humans first — especially mothers. Sometimes there are emergencies, school calls, sick kids, or moments when they simply need to leave early. We always try to support and help as much as we can, because understanding and support at the workplace matter just as much as performance.”

Aanchal Bansal, Director, Window Magic reiterates that motherhood and leadership often become a powerful source of personal and professional growth. “Being a mother and a business leader are two roles that constantly shape and strengthen each other. At work, leadership demands resilience, empathy, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions, qualities that motherhood naturally nurtures. At home, being a mother teaches patience, balance, and unconditional commitment, values that deeply influence how I lead my teams. I believe women bring a unique perspective to business, where compassion and determination go hand in hand.

As a business leader at Window Magic, Aanchal sees this dual role not as a challenge but as a powerful advantage that inspires her to grow both as a professional and as a mother.

This common thread binds all working mothers together. On this Mother’s Day we extend our love and appreciation to these unsung heroes who master two roles together. Wishing every mother a Very Happy Mother’s Day!