Are childcare costs and responsibilities the biggest challenge for women in 2023?

In 2013, 65% of Stylist women told us that while they wanted to get married and have kids, they would not do it until they reached the right level or salary at work. But for today’s 30-something women, there is far less strategic delay. Call it less angst and more action as she considers her life as a whole and not just on the career ladder.

Our landmark white paper Women at 30 revealed that, just as she is more financially literate thanks to tech tools, so too, the realities of fertility and infertility are topics that she is well-versed in. Whether via at-home fertility kits or the advances in egg-freezing, this generation is more clear-eyed and controlled about motherhood than previous generations were.

 As a life ambition, having children ranks higher than marriage or being in a long-term relationship, and 80% will be disappointed if they don’t have kids versus 76% who would be gutted if they don’t own their own home. Only 58% would be disappointed if they didn’t marry.  

“Covid made me bond with my family more. And it made me want to have my own family sooner. I have a boyfriend and while he's not popped the question yet, I see myself with him and our little kids running around creating memories.”

However, just as the pandemic triggered the pursuit of purpose, it also caused a significant number of young people to question whether parenthood is the path for them. Young women know that mothers remain the primary carers and that their preference for flexible, often freelance, working means that employer-paid maternity leave cannot be counted on.

“A lot of people these days don’t have their village’, childcare costs are through the roof, as is cost of living. [Motherhood] is a terrifying prospect to many women.”

Our own research reveals childcare costs and responsibilities as the biggest challenge for women in 2023, with 59% of Stylist women feeling the strain. Motherhood may remain a key ambition for the majority of young women, but it’s also being questioned by a significant number of them – and with good reason.

If you’d like to know more about our Women at 30 report please get in touch to book a presentation with one of the team. And don’t forget to sign up to our insights newsletter Muse to get our latest findings direct to your inbox.