Increased Difficulties of Women during Covid-19

There is no doubt that women have made their mark in the workplace lately. The achievements, becoming especially prominent since 1920, have been impressive and the power and presence of women have been improving since. Despite that, there are obstacles to the success of women in the workplace. One such obstacle has been the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though the pandemic has affected many people and upended many jobs, the impact on the lives of working women has, by far, been greater. One in four women has considered leaving their jobs, as compared to one in five men.

But why has this occurred? Research suggests that the impact on women centers around a few main areas.

Child Care

Pre-pandemic, mothers could work part-time without worrying about their children, since they would either be at school or other child care facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential shift to online learning has increased the need for adult supervision, putting the parents in a fix.

Even so, most of the burden has been on mothers. A study by Washington University showed that mothers have lost four times more work hours than fathers have as a result of the global childcare crisis. Between February and August, according to a survey, mothers of young children lost 2.2 million jobs whereas fathers lost 870,000.

Since more women are spending increasing hours on errands, their children, and education for their children, working women are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic more than men are.

Work-life Balance

Online classes, online assignments, and virtual learning require adjustment. Little kids, especially, need assistance, which requires parents to help them out. Once again, the brunt of the responsibility falls on women as they now find it harder to balance work and life.

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, women who work full-time spend 50% more time caring for their children than fathers who work the same hours do. This means that, since the responsibility to care for and spend time with their children falls on women more often than it does on men, women struggle to find a work-life balance.

This problem has become more evident during the pandemic when children are home for longer, need more supervision, and require increased assistance. If it persists, women will need to take more time off, they will not be able to work as hard as they can, and, in some cases, they may lose their jobs.

Closing Down of Businesses

One of the worst ways in which the pandemic impacted people was through the closing of small, nonessential businesses. This has led to the loss of income, a rise in unemployment, and a reduction in choice. Inevitably, women have suffered in worse ways.

When the pandemic started, a Hawaii state survey found that women are twice as likely to shut down their businesses in the pandemic. Only 2% of women compared to 23% of men said the pandemic did not harm their businesses.

Female business owners aren’t the only ones being impacted. The same is happening to working women who struggle after a business they work at closes down. Industries that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 are industries that have a majority of female employees. These include:

• Entertainment
• Food
• Retail
• Service

Additionally, around 58% of working women work in the informal sector and workers in this sector have lost 60% of their income all over the world.

How the Future Seems

For the future to turn out better for working women, businesses and governments must put in an effort into supporting women-owned businesses, paying women more, and supporting female workers, including informal workers.

Many people think that the working lives of women will improve because of the hybrid model many businesses are adopting. The ability to work from home is and will make the work-life balance easier for women.