By Danita V. Knight, President & CEO, YWCA Greater Atlanta
For generations, women have navigated the competing demands of work, caregiving, and economic stability. But for many across Atlanta today, that balance is becoming increasingly unsustainable.
Atlanta’s economy depends on the labor, leadership, and contributions women provide every day. Yet across our region, more women are quietly being pushed to the edge of the workforce — not because they lack ambition or talent, but because the math of daily life is no longer working in their favor.
For too many women, especially mothers and caregivers, work is no longer simply about professional growth or long-term opportunity. It has become a constant calculation of tradeoffs: transportation or rent, child care or groceries, flexibility or consistency, a paycheck or the cost of earning one.
And increasingly, many are deciding they simply cannot afford to continue making it work.
That reality is not always reflected in headline unemployment numbers or public conversations about economic growth. But employers feel it. Families feel it. Communities feel it. And women most definitely feel it.
Women are reducing hours, stepping away from leadership pathways, delaying career advancement, or leaving jobs entirely because the systems and structures surrounding work have become too fragile and too expensive to sustain. Recent national research from Catalyst found that 42% of women who voluntarily left the workforce cited caregiving responsibilities — including child care costs — as a primary reason for their decision.
When a parent misses work because child care falls through, that is an economic issue. When rising housing prices force longer commutes and less family security, that is a workforce issue. When women are expected to absorb the growing demands of caregiving without adequate support, flexibility, or investment, that becomes a regional competitiveness issue.
These pressures do not exist in isolation. They compound each other.
And while the burden often falls hardest on women, the consequences extend far beyond individual households. Businesses lose experienced talent. Organizations struggle with retention and burnout. Communities lose civic participation and economic momentum. The long-term cost is measured not only in dollars, but in diminished opportunity and unrealized potential.
YWCA Greater Atlanta is the only “YW” in Georgia, and we see these realities through our work supporting women, girls, and families across the state. We also see women doing everything possible to hold their careers, families, and aspirations together despite increasing pressure.
But resilience should not be mistaken for sustainability. And resilience is exhausting.
We cannot continue asking women to absorb the gaps created by unaffordable care, rising everyday costs, inflexible workplaces, and uneven access to opportunity — while expecting our economy to thrive.
This moment requires more than dialogue. It requires alignment between employers, policymakers, civic institutions, and community organizations willing to rethink how we show up for working women and families.
That means investing in accessible early learning and care. It means creating workplace cultures that recognize caregiving realities. It means expanding pathways to economic mobility and workforce participation. And it means understanding that the health of our economy is directly connected to the well-being of the people holding it together every day.
Earlier this month at the 2026 Salute to Women of Achievement, YWCA Greater Atlanta celebrated women leading across business, advocacy, philanthropy, education, and community impact. Their leadership reflects what is possible when talent, opportunity, and support align.
But we also confront the truth that too many women across our region are still navigating systems that make participation, advancement, and long-term prosperity unnecessarily difficult.
Atlanta cannot afford to lose the talent, leadership, and participation of women who are essential to our region’s future.
When women cannot afford to work, the cost belongs to all of us.
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