Changing times, changing resources: Starting a family as a graduate student

Abstract

Over the past few decades, women have increasingly attained educational and employment opportunities that were previously unavailable to them (Van de Kaa, 1987). Gabriel and colleagues (2022) demonstrate that there is insufficient support for pregnancy, motherhood, and child caregiving despite the growing number of female faculty in academia. Although we applaud and agree with the many points raised by Gabriel et al. (2022), one overlooked perspective is how female graduate students experience starting a family while pursuing their academic careers. Depending on individual career trajectory, graduate education often coincides with the ideal time for starting a family. The graduate student population forms the backbone of higher education as instructors and researchers. Therefore, to understand the systemic disadvantages faced by women in academia, graduate students must be included in the discussion. In our commentary, we discuss how perspectives on career pursuit and family planning have evolved, including changes in culture and societal expectations, increased access to higher education for women, and technological advances in family planning. Following that, we discuss the challenges female graduate students may face when starting a family, such as limited financial resources and support. After examining how these challenges can negatively impact academic and professional performance, we suggest some accommodations and resources that may help address the concerns raised.