1) Women still earn lower wages than men
2) Women have to work harder than men
3) Women are still burdened with domestic work

Doctor Carres is a female surgeon whose patients often don’t recognise her as the surgeon because they assume that surgeons are men. She shares that to be a surgeon, you have to show that your job is your priority and you are willing to work any hours required of you without complain. She expresses that her income is lower than male colleagues despite working full-time because she spends more time with her family and is unable to see as much patients as other surgeons. Her husband is also a surgeon but he works longer hours, and thus the housework is mostly the main duties of Doctor Carres. This is an example of what is known as the ‘double shift’ – Women having to work and still be in-charge of the domestic sphere. Doctor Carres had to also juggle between family and work, especially difficult when she wanted to give birth to children and had to plan her work more carefully. She expressed that she felt guilt at times towards her children even when she was at home for 5 weeks and only had to go back to work for 6 hours. She is constantly torn between staying at home to accompany her child or to spend more time at work to contribute more.

Joanne was a single parent for 11 years, thus the ‘double shift’ was inevitable. Her mom used to take care of 6 children and always stayed at home. She believes that her mother truly liked staying at home to take care of the children, but Joanne says that she does not think that she can live such a life of submission. The sentiment expressed here by Joanne is that for women to be in charge of the home and give up job opportunities is to be inferior to men. Joanne prefers working the night shift so that she can spend the day with her son. Again, it can be seen that the family has a very important place in women’s heart, and it is often their priority.

In Mexico, women were just seen as the available workforce, paid very little to work extensively. This comes at a great social cost. Companies prefer female workers because they are more reliable and hardworking than men and don’t cause any trouble. They are expected to work at a very fast pace, and if the workers are able to meet the quota, the company will raise their expectations.

Previously in Russia, everyone is expected to work equally and no special considerations will be given to a ‘weaker sex’. The state would care for the children, liberating women for the workplace. Women are also often seen as expendable labour, expected to work whenever the country needs them, and sent home when the men are able to work again.The film also expresses how the honour of a profession goes down when more women enters the profession. For men, it is easier for them to quit a low-paying job as they have more options such as starting a business. Women on the other hand does not have such an option because they have their family to support.

Long ago, women were expected to bear children, be a good wife and mother. They were expected to be subservient to the men, the head of the family. Employers then felt that women who were subservient at home can be so too at the workplace. A strike by women against exploitative work practices at a factory managed to win back their rights and regain the cut pay. In many other similar stories, women have had to fight for their rights. The film highlights how work is largely not fair for women.