Over the decades women have fought for — and won — many rights: to vote, to decide when to have or not to have children, to work in men’s jobs, to be more equal. They have won those battles and many others, but these days, what women are really battling for is more time.

After fighting hard to be on equal footing in the work force and to have meaningful jobs outside the home, what many women are finding out today is that, perhaps, the right to put the family first is more important than the right to join an all-men’s club or be the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company.

Women who have the choice of working flexible time, telecommuting from home, being self-employed, or finding affordable and dependable daycare say they are counting their blessings.

“So far, having a career and being a mom has been without a conflict,” says Jennifer Buys, a Cyber Classroom teacher for the Peninsula School District. “I feel very blessed and feel that my job and my situation is very rare compared to other women.”

Buys is the only teacher in the school district and one of only a handful statewide without a physical classroom, working with her students almost entirely online. She can work any time of the day during the week, except for a two-hour session she has scheduled in a classroom every week. Students work independently on their assignments through an online program that offers several high school courses, and e-mail is their main communication tool with Buys. Scheduled to work only part time, Buys works around her 1.5-year-old son’s schedule, often times during naps or before and after his bed time — the youngster doesn’t even realize his mom has a job, she says!

“Had I not had this job, I would have made the choice to be a stay at home mom, which would have been tough because I really enjoy teaching,” she says.

Jackie Goodwill had to make that choice when her son was born. Working as the executive director for the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, she had a fast-paced schedule requiring evening and weekend hours and everything in between. Facing the adventure of being a mom for the first time, she knew she needed time to make the adjustment.

“It was a fulfilling position and it was really hard for me to let it go,” she says. “But I had to ask myself—what did I need in order to be a mom? I needed time, and it wasn’t something I could achieve in that position. I didn’t know how to be a working mother.”

With Goodwill’s husband deployed with the military for up to 180 days out of the year, the choice to become a stay-at-home mom was the best one at the time. Goodwill says she was fortunate to have that choice, which many women do not get due to financial or other reasons.

Goodwill stayed at home for about a year and a half, and at times felt very lonely — especially when taking Samuel to day care one day a week so he could socialize with other kids. “I thought I was completely happy being at home, but found I was lonely,” she says. “I really enjoy being around people who are active and busy.”

Last February, Goodwill returned to working full time. As the CenturyTel public relations manager for Washington and Oregon, Goodwill has found enough flexibility in her job to be a working mother successfully. “At my company, it doesn’t matter where I sit as long as I have a phone and a computer,” she says. “You have to find a company that really believes they’re flexible, but also build a network you can rely on so you can be at work when you really need to.”

Some women not only want more time with their families but also more control of their lives. September Hyde realized at age 26 she would have to leave her career after having her first child. As the editor of a weekly newspaper, she had a demanding work schedule that didn’t end at home either — between listening to the police scanner, fielding calls from work and being on the lookout for breaking news, it seemed she paid more attention to her job than her son and husband even at home. But when she realized that her son was bonding more with grandma than with mom — Hyde’s mother was the primary care taker during work hours — she realized it was time to leave her job.

“I knew I had plenty of time to reestablish my career and that it was impossible to turn back time to raise my child,” she says.

But motherhood brought another twist. Being offered a part-time pagination job for another newspaper that she could do from home brought her into the world of free-lancing and self-employment. After the birth of her daughter a year ago, she has still been able to put family first and bring in additional income. Now, she also sells body care products, and together with her husband owns a rental property. Her husband opened a home inspection service in addition to working full time. “We really enjoy working for ourselves because it gives us the flexibility to spend time with our family when we want,” she says. “I know in my heart that I will never work for a large firm again unless I am the CEO.”

Even women whose children are grown and moved away share the desire for more time. “I do a lot of fund-raising for my job on the weekends, which is the time when I could go visit (my kids and grandkids),” says Cristi Watson, whose family lives in Oregon. As the executive director of the Key Peninsula Community Services and Food Bank, Watson’s part-time hours require pretty much a full-time commitment, in addition to her extensive volunteer work. Finding the time to drive to Newport is challenging, she says.

“I wish I had more time. I think women all over the place are asking for the same thing, mine just happens to be in a different city,” she says. “At some point, you ask, ‘Do I keep working or do I put my family first?’ You end up having to leave.”

And many women do — U.S. Census statistics show an increase between 1998 and 2002 in the number of women with young children who decide to simply be moms. It seems for many of them, their ancestor’s fight to be equal has come a full circle—now, they just the equal chance to have a balanced life.