Does it seem like women are slowly taking over? Do you feel that feminism and equality reign supreme in our country? Do women get equal pay as men? Are we in the same seats of the political spectrum as men? Do we balance family and power well?

Women aren't becoming lazier; nor, it seems, are they making a concerted turn against feminist ideals. Rather, it's that these days – when you factor in the new recessionary reality of longer hours at the office for those who still have jobs, as well as the resulting uptick in even more time away from the kids and money spent on child care – the cost of working is greater than the cost of staying home.

So, what does that say?

A recent Pew study found that an increasing number of women express ambivalence about sharing the job market equally with men. Nearly two-thirds of working mothers now say they'd prefer their jobs be part time, up from 48 percent just 10 years ago. Only 37 percent are content with working full time, according to Sphere.

Women work hard and they are determined because they are not given the same opportunities as men in certain cases, so to see women prevail in a hardship like the recession is refreshing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at one point last year, 82 percent of the downturn's layoff victims were men. That means women are left to shoulder most of the burden at work: logging longer hours, assuming more responsibility, taking over the duties formerly performed by departed colleagues.

In the women's movement, we requested more hours, equal pay, and respect, but are we truly happy, now that we have obtained most of it? Is it unfair to make women log more hours, spend longer days at work, and risk family because of personal power or promotion in the workplace?

"I enjoy my job, but everyone is doing the work of more than one person," says Sandra Hill, a married 34-year-old marketing professional who recently returned to work four days a week after giving birth to her second child. Productivity is up, but what's the reward? Fewer perks, salary cuts (on pay that was already 80 cents to male co-workers' $1), and an after-work schedule that's just as demanding as before, but with less time to fit it all in. "Even before I went to four days a week, errands had to be done on weekends," says Sandy. "And the gym – what gym?"

As women struggle to fit it all in, sleep has become a relic, a fact that Arianna Huffington argues is a step backward. (To bolster her case, she turns to Michael Breus, Ph.D., who says there's no doubt: women "are significantly more sleep-deprived than men.") What may have once been a feminist "badge of honor" – being so passionately involved with work, play and family that rest takes a backseat to everything else – has been proved to lead to subpar performance, poor decisions and traffic accidents.

What does this mean?

My Thoughts...

Have we bitten off more than we can chew? The Majority of women are in the workforce working hard to provide for families. Since the recession there has been a larger number of men at home, while women have become the income for the family. This is something different in our culture, seeing as women were expected to stay at home back in the day. Has work, family, and the need to "squeeze" in personal time taking a toll on working women? Is this a clear indicator of being overworked and underpayed? We could argue that this should be grounds for a pay raise, seeing as women make less than me, even with the new found respect and promotions given in the last couple of years?

What are your thoughts?

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