Last year we conducted the first survey on the possibility of balancing a career with family life, and especially being able to care for children. Has Brazil moved forward or is it still the same? 10,000 women participated in the survey and shared their personal experiences and impressions about the Brazilian system.
Questions
The following questions were asked:
- Do you think succeeding in your professional career is more difficult when you have children?
- Have you ever felt or would you feel afraid of losing your job if you became pregnant?
- Was your decision to have or not have children affected by professional reasons?
- How did your boss react or would react upon learning about your pregnancy?
- Your return to work was (or will be) ...
- Where did your baby stay when you returned to work?
- Getting a spot at a daycare is ...
- When your child is sick, who stays home to care for them?
- How do you assess the possibility of balancing maternity and professional life in Brazil?
- How many months would be the ideal period for maternity leave?
Results
To compare regions, states, and capitals, answers to the yes/no questions were converted into numbers: 1 for "Yes" and 0 for "No". This made it possible to calculate averages that are the basis for various graphs and rankings in the results below. Additionally, a distinction was made between women with and without children and by age group.
| Difficulty of Professional Success with Children (% who perceive greater difficulty) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amapá | 82% | |
| Ceará | 63% | |
| Distrito Federal | 63% | |
| Paraíba | 61% | |
| Rio de Janeiro | 61% | |
| Piauí | 60% | |
| Mato Grosso | 59% | |
| São Paulo | 59% | |
| Goiás | 58% | |
| Paraná | 57% | |
| Amazonas | 57% | |
| Brasil | 56% | |
| Mato Grosso do Sul | 56% | |
| Pernambuco | 54% | |
| Bahia | 54% | |
| Rio Grande do Norte | 54% | |
| Sergipe | 53% | |
| Minas Gerais | 53% | |
| Espírito Santo | 52% | |
| Santa Catarina | 52% | |
| Maranhão | 51% | |
| Pará | 50% | |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 50% | |
| Alagoas | 49% | |
| Roraima | 48% | |
| Rondônia | 48% | |
| Acre | 48% | |
| Tocantins | 44% | |
Professional Success with Children
- As in 2017, 56% of women see greater difficulty in professional success when they have children.
- Among women who already have children and are aware of the challenges, the percentage rises to 61%, while only 52% of those without children already sense future difficulties.
- The pressure of balancing both is greater for younger generations because for half of women over 45, it is not a problem at all.
- Women in the Center-West continue to feel the greatest difficulties, with the average rising from 58% to 59%. The Southeast follows with 58%.
- The rate in the North remains the lowest at 52%, the same level as last year, followed by the South where 53% feel this difficulty.
- The state with the greatest difficulty among women is Amapá, with 82%, followed by Ceará and the Federal District with 63%. In Tocantins, Acre, Rondônia, and Roraima, less than half of women feel their professional careers are affected by children.
- The major urban centers of the Southeast such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte show difficulties above average, with 59% to 62%.
- B o a Vista, Maceió, Palmas, and Florianópolis are the capitals that most facilitate combining professional life with the desire to have children.
Influence of Career on the Decision to Have Children
- 23% of women change their plans to have children for professional reasons, 1% more than last year. The importance of career is higher among women between 35 and 39 years old, at 27%.
- In the Center-West and Southeast, 1 in 4 changes plans, while in the South and North only 1 in 5 do so.
- The Federal District and Rio de Janeiro have numbers significantly above the national average, with 35% and 29% respectively, while in Paraíba and Alagoas only 1 in 6 let their careers influence them.
Fear of Losing Job Due to Pregnancy
- As in 2017, 3 in every 7 Brazilian women still felt or would feel afraid of losing their job if they became pregnant.
- The fear is greater among women aged 18 to 24, where 45% are apprehensive.
- By region, the situation has shifted a bit, with women in the Center-West feeling more relaxed at 40% (down from 44% last year) and the North jumping from 39% to leading the ranking at 43%.
- Three Northern states—Amapá, Acre, and Amazonas—have more than half the women fearing job loss, while in Mato Grosso, Sergipe, and Mato Grosso do Sul it barely exceeds a third.
- São Luís, Rio de Janeiro, and Curitiba have rates well above average at 46% to 48%, while Vitória, Florianópolis, and Fortaleza are below the national average.
Boss's Reaction
- Pressure from bosses is increasing: only 57% believe their boss would be happy about their pregnancy, and 19% even feel their boss would want to fire them on the spot—a 3% increase compared to last year.
- This perception does not depend on whether the woman already has or will have children, but it varies with age, with the greatest repression for the youngest group (18 to 24 years), while women over 40 report that 70% of bosses would still be happy.
- In the North, reactions are more positive, especially in Tocantins, Acre, and Pará, while in the Southeast there is a negative trend in Espírito Santo and São Paulo.
- Company managers in Natal, Brasília, and Teresina show more empathy towards their female employees than those in Cuiabá, Vitória, or Porto Alegre.
Time to Return to Work After Maternity Leave
- Only one third manage to return to work at the end of their maternity leave, another 25% return within six months, and for 22% it is practically impossible due to their children.
- There is a clear trend that it is increasingly difficult for younger women to return to work and balance it with childcare.
- On average, women take a year to return to work, with little variation between regions.
- In Amazonas and Santa Catarina, women take on average a month and a half longer to return, while in Piauí, Ceará, or Maranhão, they return in under a year.
- The greatest difficulties in the capitals are for women in Florianópolis, followed by Boa Vista, Goiânia, and João Pessoa.
- It is easier to return after leave in Macapá, Palmas, Maceió, or Teresina.
Where the Baby Stays After Leave
- Once again, grandparents and other close relatives are the salvation for 3 in 7 mothers to take care of their child when returning to work. In only 11% of cases does the father stay with the child.
- As last year, the possibility of leaving the child at daycare is available to less than a quarter (23%), regardless of the mother's age.
- 1 in 4 women has to find a non-traditional solution to take care of their baby while working.
Where did your baby stay when
you returned to work?
Difficulty Finding a Daycare Spot
- Only 18% of the population finds a daycare spot easily, and 28% consider the search very difficult. Unsurprisingly, this is the same for women of all ages.
- The squeeze is greater in the Center-West and South and lower in the Northeast.
- In the Federal District, Goiás, and Paraná, the shortage is more evident for mothers, while in Alagoas, Bahia, and Ceará it is considerably easier to get a spot.
- Besides Brasília, parents in Palmas, João Pessoa, and Campo Grande struggle the most with the lack of spots. In Salvador, Teresina, and Fortaleza, the situation is less difficult.
Getting a daycare spot
is...
Caring for a Sick Child
- In cases of illness, 63% of women have to stay home with their child.
- Only 1 in 14 fathers stays at home.
- The second option for caring for sick children is the grandparents, whom a quarter of mothers turn to.
- The younger the mothers, the more they themselves stay home with the baby and the fewer alternative options they have for care.
Overall Assessment
How do you assess the |
