Don't kill yourself trying to be a 'superwoman' - Methodist minister

Working women should not feel pressured to shoulder every household responsibility at the expense of their health and wellbeing, Very Rev. Dr. Phyllis Bernice Kwarteng Donkor, Minister in Charge of the Taifa Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana, has advised.

Speaking on Behind the Pulpit with MzGee, Rev. Dr. Donkor encouraged women, particularly professionals balancing careers and family life, to delegate household chores where possible instead of striving to meet unrealistic expectations of being the "perfect" wife, mother and homemaker.

"Don't kill yourself," she said. "Those people were not working full-time outside the home."

The University of Ghana senior lecturer said many working women continue to compare themselves with previous generations without considering the significant differences in work demands and lifestyles.

Drawing from her own experience of balancing ministry, academia and motherhood, she said women should focus their time and energy on responsibilities that only they can perform, while outsourcing other domestic tasks if they have the means.

"If I have to hire somebody to do my laundry, I will do that," she said. "If I have to hire somebody to cook, I will do that. Someone can do my laundry, but nobody can teach my classes for me."

Rev. Dr. Donkor, who lectures between 800 and 1,200 students each semester while serving in pastoral ministry, said effective time management and delegation have been essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

She noted that many women suffer burnout because they feel obligated to manage demanding careers while also performing every household chore themselves.

"You can't be the full-time mother, full-time housekeeper, full-time worker and full-time minister. It's not going to happen," she said.

The minister stressed, however, that delegation should not come at the expense of responsibilities that require a mother's or wife's personal presence.

She encouraged mothers who are financially able to spend more time with newborns instead of rushing back to work, arguing that childcare cannot be completely outsourced.

"No matter how much you pay someone else, they can never mother your baby the way you mother your baby," she said.

Rev. Dr. Donkor also urged husbands to view marriage as a partnership rather than a relationship in which wives are expected to serve as domestic workers.

"If I'm coming to help you, I'm not coming to be your servant," she said. "If we're both working and earning an income, then we should also be prepared to share responsibilities or use some of that income to get help."

She said adopting such an approach would help reduce stress, protect mental and physical health, and enable families to thrive without placing unrealistic burdens on women.

"We have to learn how to adjust," she said. "Know the things that only you can do, and let others do the rest."

Watch the video below