In San Pedro, the standard for women is to become stay-at-home moms whose job is to take care their children and run the household. While this is admirable, it is also worrisome because having a husband who provides for you is not a lifelong assurance. According to the Inegi, in Nuevo León alone the divorce rate has risen more that 130 percent in the last decade, and when a marriage doesn’t work, entering the labor force can be nearly impossible for women who have never worked. If you had a business and had to choose between hiring a recent college graduate or someone who hasn’t been in the industry for nearly a decade, who would you choose?

Much of women’s potential is wasted by limiting themselves to household activities, when they could be doing so much more. Not to mention, when their children grow and leave the house, what will they do then?

I’m not saying all women should strive to become CEOs, but at least aspire to be anything that will allow them to follow an individual goal and grant them pride in the habit of working.  Be a teacher, a fashion designer, or an engineer, any and all of these jobs are ideal, but do something.

It doesn’t even have to be full-time, nowadays there are more options if you want to spend a considerable amount of time at home and still work. If you’re a doctor and have your own office, you can set your schedule: Dr. Esperanza Welsh, a local dermatologist, sets her office hours to open at the time her children are at school and close when they get home, that way she spends time with her kids while doing what she loves. Also, with the evolution of technology, women can work from home:  I know many who do their jobs online and have more control of their time.

Having a job does not equate to being a uncaring mother; I would know. After my father passed away, my mom had no choice but to raise my sister and I on her own, and I can assure you neither of us resent her for it. On the contrary, if it wasn’t for her staying as a CFO in a national bank, regardless of the countless criticisms she received at the time, my sister and I wouldn’t be at this school today. Of course, the majority of women won’t have to be single mothers, but that’s not the only reason why having a career is important. What happens if your husband is disabled? If business goes wrong? Bankruptcy, fraud, a family illness… anything can happen, and it never hurts to be prepared.

It’s tempting to settle in the comfort of a seemingly secure future and not pursue career goals; in doing that, there’s no room for failure. But we forget that in that supposed comfort, we lose much of our independence. If we fully rely on our husbands for money, it’s nearly impossible to leave the household, even in the worst possible situations.

Right now we are just starting our career paths, and hopefully with this in mind, girls will no longer believe they won’t need their degree, as in this day and age having a plan B is invaluable.