Experiences of Academic Women in Jordan on Their Return to Work After Childbirth

Abstract

Objective

To describe the experiences of women living in Jordan returning to work at their academic positions after giving birth to their first newborns.

Design

Qualitative descriptive phenomenological design.

Setting

Various schools within a governmental university in Jordan. This study describes the challenges women in academia experience in the context of Jordan’s Arabic patriarchal communities.

Participants

A purposive sample of 15 women returning to their academic positions.

Methods

Unstructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews of women returning to their academic positions within 3 months after giving birth to their first newborns. The recorded interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis process.

Results

Three major themes emerged: Living in Chaos, The Urgent Need for Transitional Time, and Calling for Help and Support. Participants described their return to work as a period marked by a sense of chaos and instability, in which they felt a loss of control over their lives. They expressed a pressing need for a transitional period before resuming full-time academic roles, highlighting the importance of a gradual return. Finally, participants shared their struggles with the extra demands added to their daily routine. As working mothers, participants experienced extreme distress while attempting to fulfill their daily responsibilities. They emphasized the lack of adequate support in this challenging period.

Conclusion

Women returning to their academic work after giving birth to their first newborns need to be prepared physically and emotionally for the changes and responsibilities of their new life. A longer period of maternity leave or a transitional period may help women working in academia to manage the demands of multiple maternal roles alongside their professional commitments. These findings highlight the absence of formal policies needed to support women in academia in their return to work after maternity leave.