THE STATE OF PLAY

From navigating soaring living costs to rethinking motherhood, career longevity and safety, women in Australia are juggling more than ever before. marie claire takes to the streets to find out what it's really like to be a woman in Australia today

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AMBITION RISING

Evolving but unbalanced

"My career has shifted completely from what I studied, but I love what I do now. I need a purpose outside of the home. After becoming a mum, I knew that if I was going to spend time away from my kids, it had to be for something meaningful."

- Liz Shirley, 43, product specialist

"Ambition is still a dirty word for women. We are being judged for prioritising our career over family. Men don't receive the same judgement."

- Helena Mooro, 45, high-school teacher

HAVING IT ALL

The juggle is real

"The best advice I ever heard was, 'You can have it all - just not all at once.' At the time, my children were toddlers, and everything was so overwhelming. I genuinely believed my career would be over by the time I turned 40, which seems absurd now that I'm 43. But there's this pressure - especially on women - to do everything at once. The truth is it really does get easier to balance a career and parenthood as your children grow."

- Stef Jorgenstein, 43, entrepreneur

"I've spent the last decade raising three kids, and while I wouldn't trade that time for anything I feel like I've lost a part of myself. I'm now in my early 40s and want a career - I crave the independence and challenge - but I have no idea where to start. I've lost so much confidence. The workforce feels like a world that moved on without me, and I'm unsure how to step back in. And with the cost of childcare so high, it just makes everything feel even harder."

- Melanie Yousef, 42, mother