Konkona Sen Sharma Talks About 'Motherhood Penalty' And Lack Of Support For Working Moms

Konkona Sen Sharma opens up about the challenges working mothers face in the film industry, calling for policy reforms. The actress will next be seen in 'Metro In Dino', releasing July 4.

Konkona Sen Sharma calls for workplace reforms for working mothers as she promotes her upcoming film 'Metro In Dino'.

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Actress and filmmaker Konkona Sen Sharma has never shied away from speaking her mind, and in a recent interview, she addressed the very real struggles of being a working mother in the entertainment industry. Currently promoting her upcoming film 'Metro In Dino', Konkona spoke to Firstpost about the unequal burden women face after becoming mothers.

Konkona, who shares a son with ex-husband Ranvir Shorey, highlighted the economic and professional disadvantages that women often encounter post-motherhood.

"Motherhood Penalty" vs "Fatherhood Premium"

“I genuinely want to say that in today’s day and age, there is a certain motherhood penalty in any industry, which happens,” said Konkona. “It’s called the fatherhood premium and the motherhood penalty. Because what happens is that fathers, as they have children and they become more and more senior, they earn more and more. But for women with every child, there is a financial setback because you’re not able to kind of participate in the way society expects you to or for that matter what the office work demands.”

The 'Wake Up Sid' star emphasized that the lack of supportive structures discourages women from motherhood altogether.

Call for Systemic Change

“Now what’s going to happen ultimately is that women are not incentivized to have children at all because it’s becoming more and more difficult,” she added. “You know, to participate in the work life, and to be a good mother at the same time is becoming more and more difficult. So, I feel that this is something that eventually the governments will have to kind of change policies for working mothers. Otherwise it’s not going to happen."

Konkona and Ranvir Shorey married in 2010 and separated in 2015, finalizing their divorce in 2020. Despite their personal split, the two continue to co-parent their son, Haroon.

Upcoming Release: 'Metro In Dino' 

Konkona returns to the big screen on July 4 with 'Metro In Dino', directed by Anurag Basu. The film features an ensemble cast including Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta, and Anupam Kher.