“She Doesn’t Need to Work.” Oh Really?

Recently, someone said about a woman who had just stepped into a major new role after a long, successful entrepreneurial run: “I wonder why she’s taking that job. She doesn’t need to work.”

It stopped me cold…not because it was surprising, but because it wasn’t.

This phrase follows women like a shadow. It’s familiar, outdated, and whispered with a tone that’s part confusion, part judgment, and part “I just don’t get her.”

Here’s what’s interesting, though… men almost never get this question.

 A man continues working well past the point where anyone could argue that he “needs” to, and we applaud him…

“He’s still contributing.”

“He’s expanding his influence.”

“He’s not slowing down.”

Yet, when a woman does the same, it somehow becomes a curiosity…a puzzle to be solved. The assumption buried inside that harmless-sounding phrase is what always gets me…that after a certain age or stage, a woman’s ambition should taper off. That work is only valid if it’s tied to financial need. That purpose, growth, leadership, and impact expire like that yogurt in the back of your fridge.

And let’s also gently address the financial fantasy here: The idea that women glide into later life cushioned by effortless wealth is, well…generous, to say the least.

Many women I know (including me) work because we love it AND because the world still expects us to pay our bills.  Go figure!

Women don’t work because they “need to” in the way people love to assume. Women work because we have more to give…more insight, more vision, more capacity, more leadership. Some take new roles because the challenge feels right. Some because they’re stepping into their most meaningful chapter yet. Some because they’ve only just arrived at the place where they can choose work that aligns with who they’ve become.

And maybe the real question isn’t why she’s taking the job.  Maybe… the real question is why anyone still believes that a woman’s desire to grow needs to be justified.

So, the next time someone says, “I wonder why she’s taking that job. She doesn’t need to work,” consider this: Maybe the truth is she doesn’t need to stop!