Motherhood and Work: Bias in the Hiring Process

Balancing a career and motherhood has always been fraught with structural challenges and prejudice in corporate environments. Historically, many women have faced disrespectful and discriminatory treatment during recruitment or in their daily work routines simply for being mothers or planning to have children.

Reflecting on the early stages of her career, Sol Feliciano shared a striking episode of workplace exclusion. She revealed that she was once dismissed from a company under the direct claim that mothers are not productive. In addition to the discriminatory firing, she also had to endure invasive questions about who would look after her child while she worked.

This barrier also extended into hiring processes. Livia Matos pointed out that throughout her career, it was common to be asked directly about plans to get pregnant during job interviews. Looking back, she emphasizes how absurd and invasive these inquiries were, even though they were treated as normal at the time. Acknowledging this past highlights necessary transformations while reinforcing the importance of keeping the conversation alive to ensure fair, welcoming work environments for all women.