Challenging stereotypes about working mothers
Mail & Guardian
|May 09, 2025
In an economy driven by deadlines and bottom lines, it’s easy to overlook the invisible labour of motherhood.
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Yet for women like Sihle Hlophe, a filmmaker, mother, and storyteller, the definitions of value and productivity are being rewritten.
Sihle is shaping the cultural landscape with her art and reframing traditional economic narratives that have undervalued the contributions of mothers.
“We've been told that doing what is natural to me as a woman, will affect my bank account. It’s almost framed in a negative way in a capitalistic society — something that will be an inconvenience and affect productivity.”
For her, identity is layered, and motherhood doesn’t need to impede career ambition. “Having a child is not a disruption,” Sihle adds. “It’s a contribution.”
This story is from the May 09, 2025 edition of Mail & Guardian.
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