Motherhood and work life experiences of working women: Case of Gaziantep

The roles and positions of men and women in society are not the result of a biological destiny, but a process that is reproduced in social life and includes inequalities. The most fundamental issue from the past to the present is women's efforts to prove themselves in the society. This situation is an extension of women's desire to have an equitable life. The main responsibility of women working in patriarchal societies is the home and family, causing them to have dilemmas in their work and family life. This dilemma can turn into a bigger problem for women who become mothers in working life. In this study, the motherhood experience of women, who are a part of the society, in working life and family life was examined by considering the concept of gender. The study aims to reveal the extent to which women are able to cope with the problems they encounter while trying to be mothers in the private and public sphere, and what kind of strategies they develop in this regard. Within the scope of the research, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 middle-class mothers from different professions living in Gaziantep with semi-structured questions. The research shows that there are some changes in the private-public space order of women before they become mothers and after they experience motherhood.