By Taghreed Al-Alkami
In our society, many women are forced to choose between getting married, which is often expected, or having a career that will empower them in the future.
In olden days, women used to have to choose between getting married and getting educated, and some women still face that conundrum today. However, in most cases, women today are forced to choose between getting married and pursuing a career after their education has been completed. This shows that there is a positive development in society.
Some may claim that women can do both. However, time will prove them wrong and in the end a woman will have to choose. There are many examples and stories of women who have had to give up their careers to get married or who have given up the idea of marriage in order to pursue their career. Some women got halfway through their career and just stopped. It is irrelevant whether someone forces them or whether they have a choice, as in the end, they will have to choose.
Middle Eastern culture plays a big role in women’s lives. Our culture forces women to choose only one side. This is because people in our culture are not used to women doing both. Doing both is something new, unlike what occurs in other countries.
Being forced to choose one thing only is just wrong. The right thing is to try to balance both sides equally, even if we face obstacles along the way. We have to keep going until we achieve that balance and must not give up trying.
