When ambition isn’t enough: The cost of care for women in accountancy

In a profession built on balance sheets, it turns out balance is in short supply. A new global report from Chartered Accountants Worldwide has laid bare the hidden tax that caregiving places on women in the accountancy profession—penalising ambition, dampening visibility, and complicating the path to senior leadership.

The research, which draws on extensive data and first-hand testimony, finds that for women Chartered Accountants, the double burden of career and caregiving is more than anecdotal—it’s structural.

Care and consequence

According to the report, 42% of women with children aged five to nine said that being a parent was the primary barrier to their progression, with a similar number (41%) citing time taken off to care for children.

These figures were significantly higher than their male counterparts, reinforcing what many in the profession have long suspected: motherhood, not just gender, is the point at which opportunity starts to diverge.

“I was promised a partnership just before I went on maternity,” one Scotland-based respondent recalled. “It was deferred while I was on leave, and deferred again when I returned—to see if I could cope.”

The data reflects a profession still tangled in outdated assumptions: that time away for caregiving equals diminished commitment, and that visibility—often built at late-night events or long-haul travel—is a reliable measure of ambition.

Not a lack of ambition

Despite the barriers, women in accountancy aren’t short of drive. An overwhelming 71% of women with young children still believe they can obtain a senior position.

And 81% of mid-career women said they still have a lot to offer to the profession.

But visibility remains a challenge. Nearly 7 in 10 mid-career women worry that working from home will damage their career prospects—a concern significantly more pronounced than among male peers.

One respondent said it plainly: “Being a mother doesn’t mean I’m any less capable. I want to be seen as someone with something to contribute, not just someone juggling.”

Culture over policy

Many firms have formalised flexible work policies in recent years, but the report finds that cultural attitudes haven’t caught up.

Women reported being penalised for taking advantage of flexibility, facing questions about their commitment or being passed over for client-facing work.

Networking, a key part of business development, is another sticking point. Events held late into the evening or built around socialising and alcohol disproportionately exclude those with caregiving responsibilities, most often women.

“You’re expected to attend networking events two or three times a week,” said one mid-career CA. “I was constantly asking my dad to babysit. I felt guilty wherever I was.”

A quiet reshuffle

The profession is beginning to see a subtle but meaningful shift: many mid-career women are leaving large firms for smaller employers or the public sector, prioritising culture and flexibility over prestige and pay.

Some are pursuing self-employment. In many cases, it’s not because they want less, but because they are seeking work environments that accommodate the full scope of their lives.

This raises deeper questions for firms about retention, leadership pipelines, and the long-term health of the profession.

What needs to change

The CAW report doesn’t stop at diagnosis. It offers a clear prescription: rethink how we define visibility, normalise flexibility without penalty, and invest in mentoring.

It also advocates for more inclusive networking formats, re-entry programmes post-maternity, and leadership that reflects the realities of modern working lives.

Supportive line managers are identified as the most significant enabler of progression, especially for women in mid-career. Their impact often outweighs that of formal policies.

One respondent summed it up: “He would bring me into meetings, suggest training, and put my name forward when he left. That made all the difference.”

A profession at a crossroads

The accountancy sector prides itself on rigour, precision, and long-term thinking. But if it hopes to remain a magnet for top talent, especially as Gen Z enters the workforce with clear expectations on inclusion and balance, it must confront the mismatch between policy and practice.

The ambition is there. The talent is proven. What’s needed now is an environment that doesn’t quietly ask women to choose between ambition and caregiving, but supports them to succeed in both.