Beyond Egg-Freezing: How Sabbaticals Could Change the Game for Ambitious Women
Every woman who wants this deserves the time to go after it.
Companies Should Give Women Sabbaticals Instead of Funding Egg Freezing
The Ultimate Perk
Companies that genuinely cared about women would offer them sabbaticals—not just egg-freezing benefits. Time is the most precious resource in life, and many women are pleading for it. Consider the countless discussions around work-life balance, childcare, and maternity leave; at their core, these conversations are about women needing the space to pursue family aspirations without compromising their careers.
Imagine this: You’re 35 and single. You’re excelling in your profession, possibly on track for partnership, a managing director role, or another high-level position that requires dedication and endless hours. Your company appreciates your productivity but is also aware of the demands you may feel in your personal life. Instead of supporting you with more flexibility, they offer to fund egg-freezing. This well-meaning "benefit" misses the mark in a significant way.
Reality Bites
While it may be uncomfortable to acknowledge, women face a biological clock, and avoiding that reality doesn’t serve us. Knowledge is power. We should use it to make informed decisions rather than clinging to exceptions that prove the rule. Sure, some high-profile women like Halle Berry and Janet Jackson had children later in life. Still, these are rare, and we often don’t know the full circumstances behind those success stories—perhaps there were donated eggs, significant medical intervention, or countless IVF attempts behind those wins.
A woman in her mid to late thirties who hopes to start a family someday may need more than frozen eggs and the option to fertilize them later. What she really needs is time—time away from the workplace grind. Imagine a year with no work stress, a clear calendar, and lower cortisol levels. It’s tough to foster a relationship while juggling work demands, and the high-caliber partners many women desire are often just as unavailable. With a sabbatical, she could channel the time and dedication she pours into her career into her personal life, creating the conditions that make finding a fulfilling partnership more feasible.
For many, love, marriage, and partnership are seen through the lens of Hollywood romances. However, women face unique pressures, and a more strategic approach to these personal goals is often necessary. Being prepared to prioritize a relationship and taking the time to approach it with intention is both wise and realistic.
How Should That Sabbatical Be Spent?
Ideally, it would begin with a serious assessment: Does her current city and career path align with her personal goals? If not, the sabbatical could be a time to consider relocating or shifting directions. If the city and career path are right, she could use this time to explore new avenues for meeting potential partners. This might mean joining dating apps, enlisting a matchmaker, networking with friends and family, or expanding her social life. With no work deadlines or business trips to return to, she could date more openly and deliberately, engaging in meaningful conversations, progressing to third and fourth dates, and even managing multiple prospects with clarity and calm.
This isn’t a gift for potential partners; it’s a gift for herself. With the power to be the chooser, she can take the time to make a thoughtful decision about a long-term partner. It’s the chance to date with the same level of freedom, flexibility, and focus that individuals in lower-stress professions often have, which can make all the difference in building a strong personal foundation.
An Audacious Dream
This seems like a radical proposal, and many details must be sorted out. However, significant societal changes often begin with bold ideas. Perhaps this dream—one of creating genuine opportunity and choice for women—is worth working toward far more than the pursuit of endless fertility.
