Um estudo sobre a percepção das contadoras paraibanas em relação à maternidade e profissão

Abstract

This research aims to identify the perception of Paraiba accountants in relation to motherhood and profession exploring the interrelationship of motherhood and accounting profession. In view of this, it becomes interesting to reflect on the understanding of the role of women as an accountant and mother in an intertwined way and the meaning that they can have in individuals in relation to the broader social and cultural norms of professionalism and motherhood in society (HAYNES, 2008). The design of this study has a qualitative and exploratory character with in-depth interviews with seven women from Paraíba, who are accountants and also mothers who worked as public employees (with experience in corporate accounting) and accounting businesswomen. The results point to the need for professional reaffirmation as an “accountant”, the multiple journeys, the challenge that motherhood represents as a change of identity, the difficulty in actually enjoying the period of maternity leave that was reduced by the condition of being “autonomous”, the adversities in reconciling breastfeeding, the need to take children to the offices and still fulfill the obligations of mother and professional, which in some contexts was questioned but also overcome. It is concluded that despite the diversity of experiences and circumstances, accountants have in common the obstacles faced in the public-private sphere due to the fact that they are women and mothers and the way they found to overcome them.