Triple shift: experiences from woman who are mothers, students, and paid employees

Abstract

The “double shift” refers to the labor burden and dual oppression faced by women who combine paid employment outside the home with unpaid domestic work, for which women remain predominantly responsible in Mexico (Bautista & Sánchez, 2017). The notion of the triple shift, or triple presence, extends this understanding by incorporating a third dimension: academic participation (Díaz Lozano, 2020). This study examines the experiences of women engaged in a triple shift within the context of the Open University System at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, based on nine semi-structured interviews with women aged 34 to 50, residing in Mexico City and its metropolitan area, who are mothers, employed in paid work, and enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. Participants described their lives as “chaotic” and “complex,” requiring constant reorganization to meet their responsibilities. The flexibility of the Open University System, alongside part-time or independent work arrangements, enables some degree of work–study–family conciliation, albeit under economically precarious conditions. The overload impacts parenting, promoting feelings of frustration, guilt and inadequacy. Economic preoccupation, fatigue, and frustration were recurrent themes. Support networks — partners, family members, friends, and even children — proved essential. Additional implications of the triple workload include a significant mental and emotional burden and the sacrifice of self-care, in line with previous studies on double presence and its psychosocial risks. The Open University System emerges as a key resource for women in such circumstances, though the findings highlight the need for enhanced institutional support mechanisms.